An Unlikely Love
by no-more-doubt
Summary: This story is set right before, and during, the Cell Games. When Trunks reveals a secret about the future, the Z Warriors gain a few new members. However, one of them will cause Cell more trouble than he ever thought was possible. R&R, thanks!
1. Hesitation

Hi, everyone. This is my first fanfic. Yayy! Cell is one of my all time favorite DBZ villians, and so I thought I would get this story out of my head for you all to read (if you want to). I guess I should put it out there that I don't own DBZ or anything of that nature. I just love the show and have an active imagination. With that said, I hope you enjoy. R&R, it's greatly appreciated! :]

***

He hovered over the small and quiet farming community as the tall grass flowed with the gentle breeze. His large, muscular arms were crossed tightly across his chest, an arrogant smirk carved into his angelic, humanoid face. His magenta eyes surveyed the land slowly, and his smirk grew.

"Perfect. This spot is ideal. All that is left now is to clear land and build a ring."

Uncrossing his arms, Cell held one out before him, his light gray palm facing the beautiful scenery. A small ki ball formed in his hand, its reddish tint growing as it grew in strength, and upon his releasing it, the land before him shot up in shards while the hills around him crumbled. When the smoke and dust cleared, a large dirt clearing sat in place of the sweet smelling grass.

He lowered himself, his feet hitting the ground with a soft squeak. Raising his right arm again, Cell motioned for the jagged remains of a collapsed hill, and the ground immediately began to shake. Slowly, the enormous rock mass was lodged from the ground, and with quick and agile moves, Cell cut the rock into hundreds of neat squares and landed them gently before him. Before long, he stepped onto the smooth tiles of his newly built ring, his pride and anticipation swelling.

It was time to spread the news.

***

The setting sun was beginning to paint the sky vibrant colors of orange and red and reflected its dying light upon the golden dome of the Capsule Corporation. Future Trunks gripped the balcony railing tightly in frustration. Only a few hours had passed since Cell, Dr. Gero's ultimate creation, had announced his decision to hold a martial arts tournament, but the fear within Trunks' heart was growing steadily by the minute. He was no match for Cell. Although he had had hopes that he was strong enough to defeat him during their battle, those hopes were short lived. He was ashamed that he had lost a battle that he was so confident he could win, but he now knew that there was hope for his time, for he was strong enough to defeat Androids 17 and 18 and end the destruction they were causing. Closing his eyes, Trunks pictured the ones he loved.

"So Cell really wants a tournament, huh?" Yamcha asked, leaning against the balcony railing. His voice brought Trunks back to the present, allowing him to remember where he was — standing out on a balcony of Capsule Corporation with his friends and his father.

"Yes," Trunks finally responded. "It will be held 10 days from now, and he told me to keep an eye on the television for information."

"I still don't understand why though," Krillin said. "I mean he could easily get his way without the tournament."

"Dr. Gero's creations delight in causing pain and fear, Krillin," Trunks replied, his voice low and serious. "Cell doesn't merely want to destroy the world. He's dragging out his destruction for his own sick pleasure, and this tournament is nothing more than an attempt to make people fearful."

"If you're so scared, then don't even bother participating in Cell's little game."

Everyone turned their eyes to the corner of the balcony, where Vegeta sat propped up against the wall with one leg hanging over the railing.

"The last thing I need are some scared weaklings getting in my way," he continued. With that, he smirked. "But then again, it's not like you'll get a chance. I will surely be the one to defeat him."

Trunks shook his head. "No, Father. We need all the help we can get with this tournament. Cell wants a battle with each and every one of us, so the more people we have, the better. If anything, he will be eager to fight us Super Sayains and..." Trunks let his words fade from his lips and his eyes grew wide with realization. How could he have never thought of it before? It was dangerous, that's why. He had risked everything to travel to the past three years prior and from what he was seeing now time was completely altered. But then again, that was because of Cell, not himself. What he had said was true: they needed as many fighters as possible, but what he was thinking of doing was a tough decision to make.

"Uh, Trunks, are you alright?" Krillin asked, watching as his friend furrowed his brow in frustration.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking of something."

"Thinking of what?"

"I can't say, at least, not right now. You wouldn't happen to know where my mother is, would you?"

***

Bulma sat in her lab, typing formula after formula furiously into her computer. Blueprints, instructions, descriptions, and information on Android 16's programming lay sprawled on her desk and the floor around her. Her father had gone and taking a break, leaving her with the responsibility of fixing and understanding the oversized machine. Needless to say, she wasn't too pleased. 16 was nice enough though, not like anything Trunks had described of 17 and 18. But she was tired, and baby Trunks was beginning to get fussy in his crib in the corner of the lab.

Upon hearing the door to the lab open, Bulma glanced quickly over her shoulder to see the future version of her son waiting patiently for her to finish.

"Hey, Trunks," she said, turning her attention back to the computer. There was a long pause, and the only sounds that could be heard were Bulma's typing and baby Trunks' cooing.

"I'm about five months old, right?"

Bulma stopped typing. She turned her chair around and gave her son a puzzled look. Future Trunks was standing over the crib and looking down at himself, a look of uncertainty on his face.

"Yeah, around five months," Bulma finally replied. "Why do you ask?"

Trunks looked his mother. "Mom, there's something that I haven't told any of you and I'm still unsure as to whether or not I should, but with Cell creating this tournament, I'm beginning to wonder."

Bulma stood up and brought a foldable chair out from behind her desk. She set it up and motioned for Trunks to sit down.

"Let's hear it," she said casually, her arms folded lightly across her chest. Trunks merely stared at her with surprise. She was so calm, so casual when it came to the things that truly mattered. She always had been, even in his time, but it never ceased to amaze him. He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his long, lavender hair.

"In my time," he began, "the Z warriors were killed by Androids 17 and 18. I told you this before, but I was not specific as to when they were killed. I did this on purpose so there would not be any opportunity for more information about the future to be known than necessary. Everyone fought the androids when they arrived, but they were not killed on that same day like I led everyone to believe. You see, the androids wanted to keep the Z fighters alive for a little longer so that they could continue fighting them. I guess it was how they got their kicks. Everyone trained, but the androids were still far too strong."

Bulma nodded slowly, but said nothing.

"Father was the first to be killed, but that was five years after the androids first appeared."

With this information, Bulma's eyes grew wide. "You mean, you remember Vegeta?"

Trunks shook his head with a frown. "No, not really. He was always training, but whether or not I remember him is not my point."

Bulma waited for him to say more, but could see the hesitation and helplessness in his eyes. She smiled gently and rested her hand on his.

"What do you want to tell me, Trunks?"

"Mom," he sighed, looking up into her azure eyes. "Mom, I'm not your only child."


	2. Decision Made

For those who may have doubts, rest assured that this is a Cell romance fic. I've had this story in my head for some time now, so I'm trying to be as thorough as possible and develop the characters as well as I can. I hope you're enjoying the story!

***

Bulma nearly fell out of her chair in shock.

"You mean…" she began, but Trunks' slow nod was all the confirmation she needed.

"Oh, wow. Gosh," she said under breath, her eyes focusing on the ground, but in a moment they shot back up with eagerness and curiosity. "How many? How much younger are they? What are their names? Are they boys or girls?"

Trunks smiled at his mother's questions. Normally, he would feel nervous for having just told her what he did, but he felt surprisingly relieved. His siblings were incredibly strong, though not strong enough to defeat Androids 17 and 18. However, they could easily excel within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and then, hopefully, have a chance at defeating Cell. With them, Z Team's odds of winning the tournament increased significantly.

Bulma was still asking questions, so many that Trunks had lost track, but he decided to start at the basics.

"Two brothers and a sister," he said, silencing Bulma. "After me, you have twins, a boy and a girl. A year later you have another boy. The twins, Vegeta and Alannah, and I are a little more than a year a part. That's why I asked you how old I am in this time."

Bulma seemed to blush at this, knowing full well that Trunks now knew what she had been suspecting for almost two weeks. She was pregnant. "I wasn't sure, but I had reasons to believe," she said slowly, and Trunks nodded, smiling.

"I'm not scared that this will change history for 'Geta and Alannah" he said with confidence. "It was a really big risk telling you of all people, but you are the only person who could possibly understand. That, and Goku is training in the Time Chamber."

They both laughed lightly, and Bulma placed her hand back on her son's.

"But you're still worried about the youngest one."

Trunks nodded. "Mark. I probably should have talked to them first, but there really is not any time to waste. The tournament is in ten days, and everyone who is to participate needs to train. I'm not worried as to whether or not they will agree to participate," he continued on, more so to himself. "They hate the way things are back in my time as much as I do, so I know they will jump at the chance to help change history."

Bulma smiled at her handsome boy. He really was something else. She stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"So what's the plan? Do you need to travel back to your own time?"

Trunks shook his head. "No, thankfully, since that would take way too much time."

He reached into the pocket of his navy blue pants and pulled out a small capsule container. Clicking the top of one, he threw it on the ground, and in a puff of smoke, a small briefcase appeared.

"When I told everyone that I was going back to the past to help you guys with Androids 17 and 18, Mark decided that it would be best if we had an easier form of communication other than the time machine," Trunks explained, opening the case and pulling out a small cell-phone looking contraption. It was sleek and black, its surface shiny and smooth. It flipped open much like a cell phone, but there were no buttons or even a screen — just two tiny speakers.

"What is that thing?" Bulma finally asked, her eyes widening slightly.

Trunks smiled. "It's an energy-controlled dimension telephone."

Bulma looked at him confused. "Dimension telephone?"

Trunks nodded. "It was Mark's idea. He created the plans, but both you and he built it. There are only two — the one you see here and the one Mark keeps with him. It's only supposed to be used in emergencies, but I figure this is as good of an emergency as any."

"How does it work?"

"Well, it's activated by energy. All I have to do is hold it and push some of my energy into it, and it should start to ring or vibrate or whatever it's supposed to do back in my own time."

Bulma's jaw dropped. "But Trunks, how is that even possible?"

"It's sensitive to energy, particularly to Mark's and my own, but anyone can use it. I can't really explain its mechanisms, though. It's far too complex, but I'm sure once you meet Mark, he would be more than willing to explain it to you."

"And Mark is the youngest?"

Trunks nodded and smiled. "He's incredibly intelligent and he's also a brilliant fighter. I guess he got the best qualities of both you and Father."

At that point, baby Trunks began to cry from his crib in the corner. Bulma stood and walked over, picking him up gently and whispering softly in his ear to quiet him.

"Are you going to use that thing to contact them now?" she asked, looking up.

"Yeah, I think so."

"All right. I'll give you some privacy, then. Baby Trunks here is hungry anyways."

"Thanks, Mom."

Bulma smiled and left the lab. Trunks waited until he could no longer hear her footsteps before breathing in deeply and focusing his energy. The lab was quiet and dark. The tiny fluorescent light above Bulma's desk hummed, and its light cast shadows along the walls and the floor. Gripping the telephone in his hand, Trunks pushed a tiny amount of energy down his arm, through his hand, and into the contraption, and was surprised to find it growing warm. He stared at it intently, hoping that it would work this time around.

It seemed like hours before he finally heard a faint sound break through one of the tiny speakers.

"H-Hello?" came a groggy, male voice.

Trunks couldn't hold back his smile. "Mark, is that you?"

"Trunks!" Mark exclaimed, his voice more aware and alert. "Oh man, I fell asleep at the computer. Is everything alright?"

His young voice was full of concern, and the sudden joy Trunks felt at hearing his brother's voice dissipated. His smile faded quickly as he remembered why he was calling. "No, things have gotten really bad here," he said quietly.

"What's going on?"

"Are 'Geta and Alannah around? I need them to hear what I'm about to say too."

There was a pause. "Uh, yeah, I can go get them. Hold on."

Trunks heard some rustling sounds and could hear Mark's faint voice calling for their two siblings. He could hear footsteps growing closer and more voices asking questions. Before long, Mark was at the telephone again.

"They're here, Trunks, and they can hear you. Now, what's going on?"

Trunks explained that when he arrived, he discovered that history had changed dramatically. Dr. Gero had turned himself into an android. There were others besides 17 and 18 that were incredibly powerful. He eventually told them of Cell, who he was and his purpose. The monster had unfortunately achieved his goal of absorbing Androids 17 and 18, making him complete and therefore stronger than ever before. To test the limits of his new body, he was holding a tournament in which he would take on anyone who challenged him.

"And let me guess," came a calm, yet arrogant female voice. "You want us to travel back in time and help you."

"Exactly," Trunks replied. "There is a place where we can train for a whole year in just one day's time. It's really amazing. I've already spent a day in there with Father, and let me tell you, it helps."

There was silence for a long moment.

"Trunks," came 'Geta's strong, unwavering voice, "Androids 17 and 18 are very much alive in our time, which means this Cell creature is as well. If we leave, what's stopping him from absorbing them and creating the same problem here that you have in the past?"

"Cell won't try to absorb the androids," Trunks replied. "If anything, he hasn't evolved yet into a form that can allow him to do so. You see, the Cell in this time period is from the future. In the time from which he came, the androids were defeated, and he was able to kill me and steal the time machine. He traveled to the past in order to absorb the androids. So I think our time is safe from Cell until we defeat 17 and 18."

"But you think we should just abandon the people in our own time anyways?" Alannah asked with obvious frustration in her voice.

"Alannah, stop," 'Geta responded. "We've been doing all we can for the people here. We're not strong enough to do much more than we already have. I see where Trunks is coming from. If we go to the past, we'll have the opportunity to train and get stronger, then we can make a difference here."

"I guess so," Alannah replied. "But don't you think it's risky having us intrude on the past all at once?"

"I think it's incredibly risky," Trunks admitted, "but it has gotten really bad here, you guys. In any case, I think the pros of having you three here outweigh the cons."

"I agree," said 'Geta.

"I'm up for it," Mark responded, but his voice sounded distant.

"Mark, what are you doing?" Trunks asked. "You sound far away."

"I'm setting up the other two time machines. Mom and I finished them a few days ago. I figured I might as well get them ready to go."

Trunks smiled. Mark was always so eager to help. "Well," he said, "there are three of you, so I'll send my time machine your way. There should be enough energy to get it to you guys and allow one of you to travel back, but if not, you will have time to recharge it. Set the coordinates for Kami's Lookout for 10 A.M."

"All right," Mark called out. The sounds of him tinkering with something could be heard in the distance.

"It will be nice to see you again, Trunks," 'Geta said happily. "It seems like forever since you last left."

"Yeah, I guess it has," Trunks replied. "I'll see the three of you tomorrow morning. Goodbye."

With that, Trunks closed the machine and placed it on the table next to him. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He was glad that they had ten days to train and prepare themselves. That fact alone eased his unsettled nerves, but he knew that there was a long road ahead of him. Standing, he walked slowly towards the door of the lab. It was then he heard people talking loudly down the hall — Cell was announcing his tournament to the world.

***

The morning sun was gathering heat, making the tiled floor of Kami's Lookout warm and relaxing. Trunks sat Indian-style near a palm tree, waiting with everyone for Goku and Gohan to emerge from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The clock above the doorway claimed nine in the morning.

_One more hour_, Trunks thought to himself with a smile.

However, Goku and Gohan's time was up and they would be emerging any moment. After Cell's ever-so-pleasant broadcast on the news, Trunks took the time to carefully explain to everyone what was going to happen the next day and his reasons for doing what he did. Of course, everyone was shocked to learn that Vegeta and Bulma were meant to have three more children, but they all seemed to understand Trunks' reasoning. They welcomed it.

Finally, the door to the Time Chamber opened. Gohan came forth, his light blonde hair pointing every which way, his Saiyan battle suit in tatters. Goku, who looked much the same way, followed close behind. He smiled broadly at the sight of his friends.

"Hey guys!" he called out happily. "It's great to see you again!"

He and Gohan walked towards the group and were immediately confronted by news of the Cell Games and Trunks' siblings, who were to arrive in less than an hour.

"A tournament, huh?" Goku asked with a smirk as he changed into his normal clothes. "I have to admit, it sounds interesting, and Trunks, you never told me you had siblings."

"It was for their protection," Trunks replied. "I'm sure you understand."

Goku nodded. "I bet they are strong. It will be nice to have some extra reinforcements on our side."

There was silence as Goku finished changing. Piccolo had already changed Gohan's tattered uniform into garments that looked exactly like his own.

"Kakkorot, tell me," Vegeta said with a scowl. "Do you think you're strong enough to beat Cell?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you. I haven't seen him since he became complete. Maybe I should go check him out." Goku placed his middle and index finger against his forehead and disappeared immediately.

"Fool," Vegeta mumbled under his breath. "I refuse to wait for that weakling to return or for these supposed others to arrive. I'm entering the Time Chamber now," he directed towards Trunks.

"But, Father —"

"Trunks, it's alright," Piccolo said calmly. "Go with Vegeta. We'll be here when your siblings arrive."

Trunks looked at Piccolo, then towards the Time Chamber. His father was already inside. Without another word, he went in after him, and the door closed and locked.


	3. Saiyan Siblings

They had all waken up early and prepared themselves for the journey to the past. As he said, Trunks sent his time machine to the future for them to use, and now, each sat in their own vehicle, moving quickly and effortlessly through time towards their brother.

Alannah opened her eyes and stared out of the window that enclosed her. Colors of all different shades rushed past. Greens, blues, purples, reds, yellows — the colors of history and time. She could not see 'Geta or Mark moving along side her, but she could feel their energy. They would be arriving at Kami's Lookout shortly.

She stared absent-mindedly at her reflection in the window. Her silky black hair fell just below her shoulders, and the constant changing of light outside her time machine shadowed her normally vibrant blue eyes. She was dressed in tight, dark blue jeans, black sneakers and a black tank top. Hardly an outfit to be training in, but she doubted it would be the first thing she did when she stepped out of the time machine. Both Mark and 'Geta, however, were dressed ready to fight in the Saiyan body suits and armor that their mother had designed for them. Alannah's was tucked away in a capsule somewhere around her feet.

As soon as the colors around her slowed, Alannah knew it would be only moments before her surroundings would become visible. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact. She leaned back when the machine shot into its coordinated destination, the sudden burst in speed catching her by surprise. When she opened her eyes, she noticed a clear blue sky and two other time machines, one on either side of her. She looked down briefly as the vehicles descended to the floor of Kami's Lookout. There were four individuals standing, staring up at them. She knew who each was immediately — the Namek was Piccolo, the one with three eyes was Tien, a young Gohan stood next to the man who could be none other than the Goku she had heard so much about.

The top of Alannah's time machine lifted, and she jumped gracefully out and immediately stored the vehicle back in its capsule. Her brothers did the same. The four fighters approached, but Goku was in the lead, a broad smile on his face. 'Geta went up to meet him.

"I'm glad to see that you're alive, Goku," he said casually. "That heart virus can do a lot of damage."

He held out his hand, and Goku shook it firmly.

"Yeah, tell me about it," he replied with a smile. He looked at 'Geta closely and his smile grew wider. "Man, you sure do look a lot like your father."

'Geta smirked. He had heard that numerous times. He had the same facial structure, the same eyebrows, and the same black hair. However, 'Geta's was much shorter and spikier, and his eyes were the same vibrant blue as Alannah's.

"My name is Vegeta, so I guess that only adds to the similarity. This is my twin sister Alannah and this is our younger brother, Mark," 'Geta said, motioning behind him to where his siblings stood. "We heard a lot about all of you when Trunks returned from his first trip to the past."

Goku smiled and glanced over 'Geta's shoulder. Alannah stood with her arms wrapped tightly across her chest, a stance that her father was almost constantly in. The small look of disinterest that was plastered on her face made Goku realize that she looked more like Vegeta than her twin brother. He glanced over at Mark, who caught his eye and did a two-fingered wave. His dark blue hair was sticking out much like Gohan's was.

"It's great that all three of you could come," Gohan said, standing proud next to his father. "I haven't seen Cell, but I heard he's pretty powerful."

"I can feel his energy," Mark replied, "which is amazing since I doubt he is powered up. Trunks said he was strong, but wow."

"Where is Trunks?" Alannah asked, realizing that he was not among them.

"Trunks is in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with your father," Piccolo responded. "He wanted to wait, but Vegeta did not. We're having two people go in each day in order to save time. They went in about an hour ago, so we have a long wait until the next set of people can go in. I assume that two of you will want to be next."

'Geta glanced back to Alannah and Mark. "Would one of you want to go in with me tomorrow?"

"I have no need to," Alannah replied smugly.

Everyone stared at her as if she had gone insane.

"Alannah, what are you saying?" Mark said. "It's a great opportunity to train."

Alannah glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I understand the benefits of the Time Chamber," she replied coolly. "I simply wish to train by other methods. Besides, I'm confident that by the end of these ten days, I will have the power to defeat this Cell."

At this, Goku laughed. "Vegeta might look a lot like your father, but man, you take after him in personality — no doubt. I can understand where you are coming from, though. Torturing your body in that room can really take its toll. You can do a lot of intensive training outside as well."

Alannah nodded and smiled, but said nothing. She had been distracted by Cell's energy the moment she set foot on Kami's Lookout, but her body refused to get used to the new presence. It was unlike anything she had ever felt — strong, evil, and confident. His energy sent a chill down her spine, but at the same time, it sent excitement coursing through her veins. There was no doubt that he was a powerful being, more powerful than her, but if there was one thing she inherited from her father, it was determination. She did not need the Time Chamber to excel. She was confident that she could do it all on her own.

She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Goku's voice as he said his goodbyes. Apparently, he and Gohan were not wasting time in the Time Chamber either.

"I'll see you all in ten days!" he said cheerfully. He and Gohan were gone within moments, nothing more than two tiny dots in the sky.

"I guess there's nothing to do now but wait for Trunks and our father to return," 'Geta said as he sat down on the warm tiles. He turned his attention towards Piccolo, who stood near the edge of the Lookout. "What do you think our odds are of beating Cell, Piccolo?"

The Namek closed his eyes. "They are very slim as of now," he said after a moment. "The only thing we can do to increase our chances of winning is train." He clenched is fist tightly, his power level growing ever so slightly. "Maybe I should go into the Time Chamber again for some intensive training."

"You have plenty of time," 'Geta replied, wrapping his arms lightly across his chest as he brought his legs in to sit Indian style. "I really wish you would reconsider going in there, Alannah. It's rather foolish not to."

"Don't even bother, 'Geta," Mark interjected, raising his hand to silence him. "You know she's too stubborn to change her mind about something like this."

Alannah smirked. "You know me too well, my dear brother."

***

Hours passed. 'Geta and Mark had sparred for an hour or two and then settled down after they nearly broke through the tiled floor, which, to Alannah's amusement, upset that Mr. Popo character quite a bit. It was entertaining to see him fussing over a few cracked tiles, but it soon got boring. She turned her eyes towards where 'Geta and Mark sat playing cards when something caught her attention.

It was Cell's energy again.

_Why is it bothering me so much_, Alannah thought angrily. _It's not like I haven't felt energy before, this bio-android, or whatever he is, should be no different. _She was beginning to grow frustrated with herself and her situation. She could not just sit and relax like her brothers were doing. She needed to be doing something, anything to help prepare her mind for the upcoming tournament.

She stood up suddenly, causing stares from her brothers, Tien, and Piccolo.

"Are you alright, Alannah?" Tien asked cautiously.

Alannah nodded, but did not say anything. Her brow was furrowed as she concentrated on the energy that was causing her so much distraction.

"Where did Cell set up his ring?" she asked curiously.

"In his broadcast, he said that it was 28 miles north east of Eastern City," Piccolo responded, a look of suspicion on his face. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Alannah said with a wave of her hand. She turned from them and began walking towards the edge of the lookout. She looked calmly out over the wispy clouds and landscape of Earth. She turned to the others and smirked. "I think I'm going to go take a look at my competition."

Before anyone could protest, she shot off in the direction of Eastern City, leaving a streak of bright blue aura trailing behind her.


	4. A Strange Encounter

Alannah gazed straight ahead as she flew towards Cell's arena near Eastern City. Her black hair whipped behind her and she held her arms loosely at her sides as she struggled to figure out what was so unnerving about Cell's energy. She knew she was not frightened — she knew because fear was part of her daily life. Androids 17 and 18 had no life energy, so detecting them was impossible until it was too late. Her life had grown into nothing more than a game of cat and mouse, herself and her brothers being the prey.

She clenched her fists tightly and a scowl formed across her delicate, beautiful face. She hated those androids. She hated them with all her heart. They had stolen everything from her even before she was old enough to know what she had. She was grateful for her brothers and mother, though. They made her strong, even if she acted arrogant and stuck up. She couldn't help it. It was in her blood.

She didn't know what possessed her to want to see Cell. It was partially her curious nature, partially because she hated not knowing her enemy. She wanted to see what she was up against and desired to know whether ignoring the opportunity to spend a day in the Time Chamber really was foolish. Either way, she would do what she had to do to get her revenge on the infernal androids Dr. Gero created.

Alannah quickly took notice that the scenery below her was changing. The grassy hills were becoming dotted with buildings and lined with roads. Eventually, she caught sight of Eastern City about two miles ahead. Large skyscrapers reached up towards the blue expanse of sky, and the sounds of cars and traffic droned throughout every street. Even the sky was full of hover cars and personal planes. They all seemed to be heading the same direction: away from Cell.

Pushing her speed, Alannah sped forward, flying by the city in a flash. With every mile, Cell's energy was growing stronger. Eventually, she was able to see the tournament arena. It stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the beautiful countryside, and from where she was, she could make out a tall figure standing motionless in the middle. She couldn't help but notice destroyed homes not too far off — no doubt the work of Cell — and she felt her blood begin to boil.

She suppressed her energy quickly so that the android wouldn't know who she was. The last thing she needed was for her enemy to know more about her than she did him. Slowing down, she noticed a van parked a few yards away from the arena, and three men were slowly approaching. Two men held cameras while the other was dressed in what looked like football padding. He had a yellow helmet on and was talking nervously into the camera. Alannah quietly set herself down in a place where they couldn't see her, watching intently. She could not see Cell's face but noticed the black wings that protruded from his back. He had his head bowed slightly as if he were asleep or in deep meditation. She brought her eyes to the reporter as he attempted to coax Cell into talking.

_What an idiot! _She thought angrily, and was horrified when Cell shot a small ki ball towards the two camera men who hid behind a pile of boulders. Thankfully, they escaped and ran off, but the reporter was left to feel the brunt of Cell's irritation, receiving a kick that sent him flying though the air. He landed heavily against a pile of rocks, but before Alannah could reach him, he had jumped up and ran for his co-workers in the van.

She turned her attention towards Cell and glared angrily at his back. He hadn't noticed her. She had already suppressed her power completely. Slowly, she lifted herself up and hovered quietly towards the arena. She placed herself gently on the edge of the ring and placed her hands on her hips. He was tall, muscular, and impressive looking. She hadn't seen his face, but she assumed it was an image she could live without. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by an elegant, smooth voice.

"I suggest you leave," it said. "That is, unless you want to join your friends."

The voice had come from Cell. Alannah couldn't believe it. He sounded as if he had some sort of accent, but she couldn't put her finger on what kind — English, maybe, but she couldn't be sure. She remained where she was, feet planted firmly on the tiled floor of the arena, hands on her hips, her blue eyes locked onto her enemy in front of her.

"Still there?" Cell called out, already knowing the answer. When no response came, he turned his head slightly and glanced over his shoulder. A small smirk crossed his face, brightening his magnificent pink eyes. "You are a brave girl," he said.

Alannah let a small smirk play across her lips as well. "You have no idea."

Cell let his arms fall to his sides and turned to face her. It was then she got a full view of the monster that threatened the universe. His calves, shins, chest, and wings were all made of the same hard, black armor while his torso, upper legs, and head plates were composed of green skin, speckled with black. His face, neck and hands were pale gray. Purple streaks ran along the sides of his face, and his jaw was set with a yellow plate. Alannah's blue eyes were locked on his magenta hues. Her face did not show it, but she was in utter shock. How could someone so evil have such a gorgeous face?

Cell's smirk grew and he placed a hand on one of his hips. "You do not look like a reporter," he said casually with his velvety voice. "Certainly you are not here to challenge me."

"Not yet, Cell," Alannah replied, "but don't be sad. I'll be participating in your little tournament. I guess you could say that I'm just checking in on my competition." She tossed her hair behind her and caught his eyes narrowing.

"You do not have enough strength to threaten me, girl," he said in a low voice.

Alannah laughed. "I think it's the other way around, don't you think? You do not have enough strength to threaten me."

"Watch your tongue," Cell growled. "I could kill you with a mere snap of my fingers."

"Let's see you try."

Before she knew it, Alannah was faced with a ki ball that was growing in size as it sped towards her. She immediately unsuppressed her energy and, taking the power of the attack in her hand, was able to toss it behind her. It crashed against the mountain rock, leaving a rather large crater in its side.

Cell eyes widened considerably. "You are not a human," he stated matter-of-factly. "Who are you? I have no information on your existence."

"You're partially wrong. I'm half human, half Saiyan."

"Half Saiyan, you say?" Cell looked at her carefully, his magenta eyes bearing into her. "You must be a child of Vegeta. It would explain your overly confident attitude, but I am unaware of any other child other than Trunks."

"Then it looks like you need to do some more research on the time from which you came," Alannah replied with irritation. "If you did, then maybe you would come to know who I am."

Cell smiled at this. "Ah, I see. You are from the future. Well then, it looks like we have something in common."

Alannah scowled and felt angry heat flooding her body. "I have nothing in common with filth like you, you bastard," she spat furiously. Before she had any time to react, she found herself pressed against one of the pillars in the corner of the ring. Cell had her by the throat, a deadly glint in his eye as he brought his face dangerously close to hers.

"I will not tolerate being spoken to in that manner," he snarled in a low voice. Alannah glared at him. He may have had her by the throat, but the force he was applying was not painful. The heat from his hand coursed through her neck and down her spine, causing Alannah to shiver slightly.

"If you want an apology, Cell, you are not getting one. I am not afraid of you."

Cell chuckled. "No, I suppose you aren't," he said, lowering her gently so that her feet touched the arena floor. He lowered his hand and took a step back. "I must say, your confidence is quite admirable. You may have your father's attitude, but you carry it with much more flair."

Alannah stared at him. _What the…?_

"As for not being afraid of me," he continued, "that will change in due time."

Cell was soon in the middle of the ring again, arms crossed, eyes closed and head down. Alannah was rendered speechless. One minute he's about to kill her, the next he's extremely calm. She took the silence as an opportunity to leave. She was about to take into the air when Cell's voice stopped her.

"What is your name?"

Alannah turned her head and looked back to see him staring at her from the corner of his right eye.

"Excuse me?"

"Your name. What is your name?"

Alannah smirked. "You will know in due time," she said mockingly before lifting herself into the air and taking off in the direction she came.

***

By the time Alannah reached Eastern City, the setting sun was painting its canvas various shades of red and orange, and the air was beginning to chill. She had ignored her desire to look back at Cell's arena once she had taken off because of her sneaking suspicion that he was watching her retreating figure. She had not lied when she told him she wasn't afraid. For some reason, she knew that he wouldn't kill her. Hurt her, maybe, but she had learned to handle pain throughout the years. What unnerved her now was that he didn't even do that. He was so calm and collected that it angered her.

_Idiotic android_, she thought bitterly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a dense set of woods close by. It was still fairly light outside, despite the fact that night was approaching. Realizing that she hadn't put in any effort to train today, Alannah changed her course and flew towards the woods in hopes of finding a secluded clearing. She flew over the trees for a brief moment before spotting an open area near a small creek. Slowly, she brought herself down and observed the area. There would not be a soul around for miles, which was convenient — there wouldn't be any distractions and she could concentrate in peace.

Moving next to the creek, Alannah sat herself down in the cool grass and took off her black sneakers. She sat Indian style, her eyes focused on the smooth movement of the water before her. The soft sounds of the water against the rocks eventually persuaded Alannah to close her eyes and find the inner source of her power. Her thoughts traveled back to that day, the day that would change her and her family forever. It made her angry to think about it, furious even, but it was her main source of motivation. It's what drove her to become as strong as she was, to push herself through battle even though she knew she would only be defeated.

It was the day the androids took his life. Although she had been only four years old, she could remember it clearly.

***

_She had heard her mother and father arguing shortly after the report on the television. The androids were causing devastation in nearby cities, tearing buildings apart, and killing those who confronted them, murdering those who ran away. It was morning, and the early sun peaked through the curtains of the living room where her mother and father stood arguing. Alannah sat at the top of the stairs, hugging her knees and listening closely. Her brothers were still sleeping. _

_"Vegeta, you cannot go out there, not by yourself!" Bulma cried. "They nearly killed you the last time!"_

_"I do not need anybody's help, woman!" Vegeta shot back. "Those two are coming dangerously close to this house, and if I don't act now, they will soon be knocking on our door!"_

_"I know, but Vegeta, please…"_

_Silence. From her spot on the stairs, Alannah could see her father putting on his Saiyan armor, white gloves, and white boots. Her mother was behind him, pacing the floor, her head buried in her hands. _

_"What about Trunks?" she said suddenly. "What about Alannah, 'Geta, and Mark. Don't you think they deserve to have you alive?"_

_Vegeta stood up slowly and looked at Bulma with tired eyes. He said nothing, and Bulma continued to cry, her back now turned to him. He followed her as she tried to leave the room. Alannah could no longer see them, but she heard her father's words clearly._

_"Bulma," he said, "Bulma, I'm doing this for them."_

_She heard her mother sobbing, and she heard her father say his goodbyes. The front door stood near the stairs where she was perched, and at the sound of his approaching footsteps, Alannah hugged her knees tighter, hoping that this would block her from his view. He passed the staircase without a glance in her direction, his posture perfect, his scowl unmoving. He opened the front door, allowing sunlight to spill onto his face. It was at that moment that he looked up at her, and Alannah felt her tiny breath catch in her tiny throat. He smiled sadly, his eyes capturing hers, and without a word, was gone._

_***_

Alannah brought herself back to reality. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her nails were breaking the skin of her palms. She dragged her arm across her tear stricken face in an attempt to dry it, and with her eyes still closed, she stood. She was holding back so much, trying hard not to lose control. The image of her father's smiling, yet sorrowful face entered into her mind, and she could do nothing but unleash her raw emotions into power. Her black hair exploded into gold, her blue eyes flashing a vibrant teal. She jumped into the air and began sparring with an invisible partner, putting forth all of her energy and all of her power into her swift kicks and agile punches. Dusk quickly settled into night, but she refused to stop. She couldn't give up. He had never given up.

Before long, however, exhaustion began to strangle her and she collapsed onto her hands and knees, breathing hard. Sweat dripped from her face and onto the grass as her hair faded to black. Rolling onto her back, she stared at the night sky, a black canvas dotted with brilliant stars. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, but something caught her attention. It was an all too familiar energy.

She stood up quickly and glanced around. It was too dark to see anything, and her mind was too cloudy to pinpoint exactly where he was, but she knew he was there. She couldn't be imagining it. He had followed her.

"Cell," she said in a warning tone, "I know you're out there."

From behind her, came the faint sound of a twig snapping, and she immediately shot out an energy blast in the direction. She followed the brilliant flash of light and charged, landing a punch clear across the stranger's face. He flew into a nearby tree, causing the trunk to splinter around his body. She walked cautiously towards him, her hand holding a small energy ball. She pointed it towards her assailant and screamed in surprise.

"'Mark!" she cried, and rushed over to her brother. She carefully brushed a hand across his face, thinking he was unconscious, but he stirred at her touch.

"Why did you have to go and do something like that for, Alannah?" He growled, standing unsteadily and rubbing his head.

"I-I thought you were someone else."

"Could you not sense my energy?"

Alannah frowned. It couldn't have been Mark she was sensing. It had to have been Cell, but if Cell had been there, Mark would have been able to sense him as well. She shook her head, more out of disbelief than as an answer to Mark's question.

"I'm sorry," she said. "If I had known it was you, I wouldn't have done that."

Mark laughed. "Yeah, sure."

"What are you doing out here, anyways?"

"I felt your power surge, and I thought you were in trouble. 'Geta is here somewhere. We weren't sure where you were. We followed your energy to the forest, but once we got here, it seemed to disappear and we had no way of knowing which direction you were in."

"That was probably when I stopped training," Alannah said quietly. There was a short pause before Mark spoke.

"You thought about it again, didn't you?"

Alannah nodded, but said nothing.

"C'mon," Mark said gently after a moment. "Let's go find 'Geta and head back to the Lookout."

Both of them flew up out of the forest and raised their power levels so 'Geta would know where they were. While they spoke, they had failed to notice the dark figure that was standing nearby, his energy suppressed as his vibrant magenta eyes watched their every move.


	5. Surprise and Intrigue

Alannah awoke with the sun shining brightly in her eyes. She squinted in an attempt to block out the discomfort, but found her efforts useless. Slowly sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and yawned before taking in her surroundings. The bedroom was very spacious, a large rectangular room composed of white walls that shimmered in the morning light. Purple curtains hung from the above the windows, but had been pulled back and tied with golden rope. The same colored tapestry hung from a skylight in the center of the ceiling, giving the room a lavender glow. Throwing her feet over the bed, Alannah reached for her capsule case to pull out her clothes for the day. She had packed quite a bit — shirts, pants, shorts, and everything else she would need for however long she was to remain in the past. She laid out an outfit of black spandex shorts and a white short-sleeved shirt. She was missing her black sneakers, however, which were the only pair of shoes she had brought besides her Saiyan combat boots. Suddenly, her memory hit her.

She had taken off her sneakers when she sat down in the forest last night and had forgotten them near the creek.

_Damn it_, she thought.

No matter. She would simply go and retrieve them later on after breakfast. She doubted that anyone would be interested in a pair of abandoned sneakers in the middle of the woods anyway.

She made her way to her private bathroom. She had never dreamed of having such nice accommodations when they decided to stay at the Lookout overnight. The bathroom was quite large, with white marble floors and countertops, and a porcelain bathtub with gold faucets. She ran her hands along the smooth surfaces before removing her clothes and showering. She let the hot water run down her body and allowed the steam to fill her nostrils. It was almost too relaxing, but she relished in the way it made her feel.

After she had gotten dressed, Alannah powered up slightly in an attempt to dry her hair. When she was satisfied, she stepped out into the hallway and immediately heard the sound of plates and utensils coming from a room not too far away. She followed the sound and found herself standing in the doorway of a dining room. All three of her brothers sat stuffing their faces, along with her father, who was demanding that Mr. Popo get him some more of something. His mouth was far too full to be making any sense. Piccolo looked at them with disgust. Alannah couldn't help but agree with whatever his thoughts were at that moment.

"You're all pigs," she said, and the sound of their utensils stopped as all four looked up at her.

"You would be too if you just got back from a year of non-stop training," Trunks said after swallowing his food.

'Geta smiled and continued to shovel food into his mouth. Mark pulled out the chair next to him and motioned for Alannah to sit.

"An'way, ish good to shee you Awannah," Trunks eventually exclaimed; only this time it was with a mouth full of food.

Alannah laughed audibly. "Ish good to shee you too, Twunks," she teased. She leaned over and began to place some food on her plate. She could never eat as much as her brothers, or as fast. For some reason, she had Saiyan strength, but not a Saiyan appetite. She ate her food slowly and listened as her brothers talked about nothing in particular. She glanced over at her father and caught his eye. He stared at her intently, as if studying her. He had that familiar scowl on his face, the one that she remembered seeing on him as a kid. She smiled slightly, but Vegeta took no notice. He lowered his head and continued to eat, refusing to be a part of his sons' conversation.

Once she was finished, Alannah stood up from the table.

"Where are you going?" 'Geta asked curiously. "You've hardly eaten anything."

"I left my shoes in the woods last night," Alannah replied as she cleaned up her dishes and handed them to Mr. Popo, who stood waiting behind her. "Those were the only ones I brought, which was a foolish mistake, but I'm going to go get them and then train on my own."

"Alright, but Mark and I will be in the Time Chamber until tomorrow morning, so I guess we'll see you then."

Alannah smiled. "Good luck," she said before exiting the dining room.

She made her way towards the outside of Kami's Lookout. It was a beautiful day, and the warm tiles felt good against her bare feet. She jogged lightly to the edge of the tile, leaning forward until she felt her feet slip off the smooth surface of the floor. She let herself free fall through the sky. It was such a rush that Alannah found herself laughing out loud as the ground grew dangerously close. She caught herself in time, her stomach grazing the leaves of the tree she would have collided with as she shot off towards Eastern City. She didn't know why, but she was in an incredibly good mood. She couldn't feel Cell's energy for some reason, but she wasn't complaining. For once in her life, she felt as if she had nothing to worry about.

When the forest came into view, Alannah slowed herself and watched carefully for the creek. She spotted the familiar clearing about a mile into the woods. Descending slowly, she allowed the wind to comb through her hair before her bare feet touched the wet grass. She was soon disappointed to find that her black sneakers were nowhere in sight.

"Damn, someone must have taken them after all," she said to herself, scanning the area around the creek.

"Are you looking for these?"

Alannah felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end as his elegant voice reached her ears. She turned slowly and caught sight of his purplish-red eyes, glinting with amusement and intrigue. In one of his hands he held her sneakers. The other was placed gently on his hip. Alannah willed herself to regain her composure and she replaced her look of surprise with one of contempt.

"How did you get those?" she asked slowly, her eyes narrowing and never leaving his.

"Don't be foolish my dear Alannah," he said with a smirk. "You are the one who left them behind."

Alannah opened her mouth in a retort, but her words caught in her throat when she realized that he had just said her name. The only way he could have possibly learned her name would have been if…

"You _were _here last night, weren't you?" she demanded, the accusatory tone in her voice making Cell's smirk grow. When he didn't reply, Alannah felt herself beginning to lose control of her temper. "You insolent creep," she sneered. "How dare you spy on me like that. What did you see?"

"I merely watched you as you trained," Cell replied casually, tossing her black sneakers towards her. "It was not all that impressive, but fairly entertaining nonetheless, especially when you pummeled your dear brother into a tree. Don't give me that look. You cannot possibly think of invading the privacy of my arena without having your privacy invaded in return."

It was the most she had heard him speak since she met him, and it took nearly all her strength to not lose herself in the beauty of his voice. What he was saying, however, was utterly preposterous. How can a tournament arena in the middle of the countryside be expected to remain private, especially after being announced as the arena that would hold the Cell Games? Alannah shook her head and sighed. Grabbing her sneakers, she pulled them on, trying to ignore the fact that Cell was watching her.

"You can go now," she said mildly as she finished. She stood up and turned her back to him. "I have no interest in seeing you until the tournament."

"That was not your attitude yesterday afternoon."

She felt her face growing red. Whether out of anger or embarrassment, she was not sure, but either way, she spun around to face Cell.

"What do you want?"

"My dear girl, what make you think I want anything?"

"Well the fact that you're standing here right in front of me for no apparent reason is a dead give away, and don't you dare say that you merely wanted to return my shoes because I won't buy it. I was in an extremely good mood before I laid eyes on your hideous face, so all I want is for you to be honest with me so we can both go our separate ways until the tournament." She had barely taken a breath while speaking and her chest was now rising and falling heavily.

Cell smirked, closed his eyes, and folded his arms across his chest. "Let me train you," he said gently. He opened his eyes and caught her surprised expression.

"W-what?"

"You want to know what I want? Well, I want you to train with me, though I dare say it will be more of me training you."

Alannah glared at him. "I don't appreciate your mockery, Cell. Just moments ago you said that my training was not impressive, but rather _entertaining_. If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I take pride in my ability to fight the way I do, so if all you're going to do is stand there and lie to me like this, then it looks like we're done here."

She turned away and was about to take off when she felt Cell's warm hand wrap around her wrist. He spun her around and gripped her shoulders, forcing her to face him and stare up into his face, which looked deadly serious.

"I do not lie," he said in a low tone, "and if there is one thing _you _should know about _me_, it's that I take pride in that. I am a man of my word. When I said that your training was not impressive, I meant that, but only because you lacked focus. You were letting your emotions take over, which is a dangerous way to fight."

Alannah moved herself out of his grip, her blue eyes bright with contempt. "What the hell do you know of emotions?" she hissed. "You are nothing but a biologically engineered monster. You cannot possibly grasp the meaning of what it's like to feel. And also, don't you dare talk to me as if you know me. You know nothing about me."

Cell stared at her with wide eyes, but his surprise at the tone of her voice and the harshness of her words were quickly masked by anger. He clenched his fists tightly, his frown deepening as she spoke.

"You insult my intelligence one more time, woman, and I swear it will be the last thing you ever do."

Alannah snorted, turning her back towards him. "Yeah, Cell, and maybe one day you might actually be able to feel something."

Within mere seconds, Alannah felt herself slamming against the trunk of a nearby tree, her head aching from the impact of Cell's fist against her face. She got up quickly and stood on unsteady legs. She had broken a rule — she had turned her back on her enemy.

_Good going, Alannah_, she thought to herself as Cell slowly approached, his feet making a strange squeak with each step. He was fuming. The look on his face held nothing more than pure hatred and disgust. He was going to strike her again if she did not act quickly. Powering up, she transformed into her Super Saiyan state and planted her feet firmly in the ground. Cell was getting closer. One more step, and she would attack. She listened for the squeak, and when she heard it, she flew towards him.

She landed a punch across his face, the force whipping his head to the side and stopping him in his tracks. Alannah jumped back and stood prepared in a fighting stance. She knew that that punch had done little damage. He hadn't tried to block it, which made her grow suspicious of his behavior.

Eventually, Cell straightened his neck so that he was looking at Alannah. A small trail of purple blood oozed from the offended cheek, and a bruise was already beginning to form.

"You are strong, Alannah," he said, wiping the blood away with his thumb. "Clearly, though, you see that you are no match for me."

Although she sense his power level decreasing and knew he was not about to attack her again, her body grew even tenser. Of course she knew she was no match for him. She had known that the moment she had heard about him. She had been nearly killed by Androids 17 and 18 on countless occasions, and now they were both a part of him. She expected no more of herself, at least not right now. Nevertheless, hearing him say it so casually hurt her pride. She eventually allowed herself to relax and tossed her black hair to one side. Cell was an extremely confusing creature, much more complex than 17 and 18. They simply destroyed. No thinking, no planning. Their main purpose in life was to kill, destroy, and torture. But Cell, although destruction was his ultimate goal, seemed more, dare she think it, _civilized_. The two stared at each other for what seemed like hours before Alannah finally spoke.

"Why do you want me to train with you?" Her voice was gentle and pleading for an honest answer. The feelings she got from his energy were torturing her on the inside, draining her with frustration and uncertainty, and she could not figure out why. It exhausted her beyond belief.

"As I said," Cell replied, "there will be more of me training you than anything else. I simply need to keep myself occupied, while you, you need to prepare, now don't you?"

Alannah shook her head and rubbed her tired eyes. "But why? Why me?"

"You have a lot of potential. I can see it. You use your emotions as a tool for motivation, but, as I said before, you lack the focus needed to harness it and put it to its proper use. I can help you with that." He stopped and stared at her, surprised to see so much exhaustion within her usually spunky personality. "I want to get as much out of this world as I can," he continued slowly. "If training you will give me a future challenge while helping to pass the time, then so be it."

He began to walk away from her then, but stopped and turned his head slightly so he could see her. "You intrigue me, Alannah," he said with a smirk. "If that's not an honest enough answer for you, then I'm afraid I don't know what is."

He flexed his wings as he prepared for flight, and before Alannah even had time to blink, he was gone.


	6. Distraction

She stood staring at his retreating figure until he was out of sight; her mouth gaped open in surprise.

_"You intrigue me, Alannah," _had been his exact words before he left her standing in the clearing, confused and exhausted.

Not only had said that, but he had told her that he wanted to train her, that she had potential. What Alannah did not understand, however, was why he wanted to help one of his enemies. He had mentioned something about a challenge, but Alannah felt that there was something more to his reasoning. She was already stronger than her brothers, though that would most likely change now that they were spending a day in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. However, despite her great amount of strength, she still probably seemed like a weakling to Cell. Growling in frustration, she laid herself down in the grass, her face pointed towards the sky, and closed her eyes.

From what she could see, she had two options: she could train with Cell or she could train by herself. Under any normal circumstances, affiliating with the enemy would seem out of the question, but for some reason, this situation seemed different. Not only would Cell's training ultimately give her the strength she needed to stand a chance in the tournament, but it also gave her the hope of defeating Androids 17 and 18 in her own time. As Trunks would say, the pros outweigh the cons. Training by herself had its benefits as well, though. With the amount of time she had, she could hone her skills and speed significantly, and her moves and attacks would be a complete surprise to Cell.

_Unless he starts creeping around and spying on me again_, Alannah thought bitterly. At that thought, her mind wandered to another realization: _How do I know he won't try to kill me? _

Cell said he was a man of his word, but he had never said that he would not destroy her. Granted, his mission was to eventually destroy Earth, but still. Alannah furrowed her brow in thought. This was not supposed to be a hard decision to make. She was to simply say no and go about her own methods of training. That had been her immediate thought when Cell had told her what he wanted from her, but now, as she thought through her options, it didn't seem right. Something within her was telling her to take the opportunity and to trust Cell.

"How ridiculous," she said to herself, rubbing her eyes furiously, but as much as she tried, she knew she would not be able to ignore her inner thoughts. Much like how she could not ignore or put her mind past Cell's looming energy. She was drawn to him out of what she believed was curiosity, and was surprised to realize that she was still unafraid of him, despite his power, energy, and previous attacks. Whether she liked it or not, she _did _trust him. With what, she didn't know. All she knew now was that she trusted the one _thing _she thought she would despise. It made her angry, frustrated, and confused, but more importantly, it made her to want to prove her strength to Cell.

She got to her feet and took off into the sky almost immediately.

_"You intrigue me, Alannah."_

Cell's words echoed in her head as she flew quickly past Eastern City towards the countryside and the tournament arena. She had made her decision, and only hoped it would not turn out to be a horrible mistake.

***

By the time Alannah made it to the ring, the afternoon sun was high in the sky, and the heat was bearing down on her fair skin. She landed gracefully on the large tiles, one hand on her hip. Cell stood in his usual spot in the middle of the arena, arms folded across his chest, with his held tilted down slightly. His back was to her, but she knew that her presence was known. She had made no attempt to suppress her energy.

"I must admit," he said after a moment, "I was not expecting you so soon." He turned his body towards her and chuckled slightly. "I must have made quite the impression on you."

The glint in his eyes made Alannah's temper flare.

"If you want to train me," she replied coolly, "then stop wasting time. I'm not in the mood for your witty remarks."

The smirk on Cell's face faded quickly and was replaced by a small frown. Slowly, he unfolded his arms and let them rest at his sides.

"Very well," he said calmly, but Alannah could feel his power level increasing slightly. She put herself in a stable and traditional fighting stance just in time to see Cell push off the arena floor and speed towards her. His movements were quick, so quick that she hardly had any time to react, and she put her arms up as a shield as Cell's fist came closer. His punch landed in the middle of her makeshift shield where her arms crossed in front of her face. The force was enough to send her sliding, the back of her heels reaching the end of the arena. The pain in her forearms was unbearable, but she took it without the slightest sign of weakness.

Cautiously, Alannah put her arms down and regained her composure. Cell stood a few feet away, a look of amusement playing across his humanoid face.

"You're fast," he admitted with a grin, "but I should have you know that that was not even half of my true power."

Alannah said nothing, but merely glared into his eyes. He turned and began walking towards the middle of the ring, his body making that strange squeaking noise.

"I want to see what you can do," he called out to her. To Alannah's surprise, he lifted himself off of the ground and flew off into the distance. Clenching her fists in frustration, Alannah followed him. She could see his head turning every which way, his eyes glued to the ground as if he were looking for something. Finally, he stopped and descended. The area they were in had less trees and more rocky hills, with less grass and more dirt and rubble. Once she hit the ground, Cell turned his body towards her and positioned himself into his fighting stance.

"I want to see what you can do," he repeated once he saw the curious look in her eyes, "but I don't want your pathetic and clumsy fighting to ruin my ring."

Alannah let her anger rush through her body, and she sped towards Cell. He raised his power level as she approached while planting his yellow feet firmly into the dirt. As she approached, Alannah increased her speed significantly. Within mere seconds, she swiveled her leg and brought it down swiftly against the android's muscular neck. Much to her enjoyment, her had speed caught Cell off guard and the force of the kick sent him flying. However, her enjoyment was short lived, and Cell quickly regained composure, doing a one handed flip and landing gracefully on his feet.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he was off and speeding towards her. Both threw attack after attack at one another, and Alannah found herself easily dodging Cell's movements. However, she knew that he was not seriously fighting her. If what he had said before was true, and that he had only been using a fraction of his power, this was no different, and the fact that he was going easy on her was enough to make her anger towards him increase. She dodged a kick and threw a punch that landed square in his face, sending the android flying back.

"Enough games, Cell," Alannah said, her face serious and scowling. "I know you're going easy on me and I don't need your hospitality. Either fight me or I'm leaving."

Cell smirked, and with the back of his hand, wiped the blood that was trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Suit yourself," was all he said before landing a very hard punch in Alannah's stomach. She lurched forward and gripped her bruised abdomen with her arms, her body in utter agony. Suddenly, pain shot through the back of her head and she found herself falling helplessly towards the rocks below. She collided with ground with a sickening thud, her abdomen and head screaming in pain.

_I didn't even see him move, dammit! _She cursed as she slowly got to her feet. She blinked away the white spots that were intruding in her vision as she scanned the skies for Cell. He was nowhere in site, but she had the sickening feeling that he was watching her.

"Had enough?" he asked, suddenly appearing behind her. Alannah reeled around, her right fist ready for contact, but Cell simply caught it in his hand. She threw her left fist towards his face, but he caught that one as well. He plunged his knee into her abdomen, causing Alannah to scream out in pain. She allowed her body to limp slightly, but Cell held her wrists firmly in his hands.

"This is what I meant, Alannah," he said gently, lifting her up by the wrists so that her face was level with his. "You let your emotions take control and you make stupid mistakes. I do believe your father has that same problem."

Alannah's head shot up immediately, her blue eyes glaring into Cell's magenta hues.

"Don't you _dare _talk about my father," she snarled, her power level increasing.

Cells eyes widened in both surprise and enjoyment. "Ah, it seems I have struck a nerve," he chuckled with amusement. "At least now I have an idea about what makes you tick."

He let go of her wrists then, and Alannah jumped away immediately. "You don't know anything about me," she hissed softly, though loud enough for him to hear. She was breathing heavily, exhausted from Cell's onslaught of sudden attacks. Her abdomen was crying out in pain and she could taste the blood within her mouth. She felt that at any moment she would collapse and fade into unconsciousness.

"That is where you are wrong, my dear," Cell replied, taking a few steps towards her. "When you're angry, you are like an open book. You may have a considerable amount of strength and speed, but it means nothing when your opponent can sense what you feel and infer from it."

His power level decreased, but Alannah remained rigid and stiff. She would have loved nothing more then to pummel his face in the ground and get rid of the obnoxious smirk once and for all, but she knew she didn't have the strength. Despite her pain, Alannah's face showed nothing but contempt as she stared at the approaching android. She shivered when she felt his warm hands on her shoulders.

"Go and rest and come back when you're ready to face me," he said in a surprisingly gentle voice and removed his hands. Alannah looked up at him in confusion, but did not move. Cell frowned. "I cannot train you if you're writhing on the ground like a hurt child," he said, his tone now harsh and irritated. "Go and come back, if you dare."

Alannah glared at him, but said nothing. She stepped back, her eyes never leaving his until she turned and took off into the air. Cell watched her as she left, not moving until her energy was nothing but a dull presence in his mind. Alannah was not aware of it, but Cell was having a similar problem as she was — her energy had been tormenting him since she arrived. It was especially alarming for an android such as Cell, for the moment he had seen her, he had felt overwhelmed by her confidence and beauty. Granted, emotions were embedded within his programming, but many other things were meant to override them, such as his overall purpose. The fact that a mere Saiyan woman could evoke such interest within him was unsettling, and although she was not his equal in strength, Cell found her to be quite the intellectual challenge.

He frowned in response to his train of thought. No one, not even someone like Alannah, would distract him from what he had been created to do. Flexing his wings, he flew back towards the direction of his arena, his scowl deepening when he noticed a van and a handful of reporters walking cautiously down the stone path towards the ring. They were not what he'd consider distractions, but they were extremely annoying.

***

She had fought with Cell for about two hours and now felt as if her entire body was about to fall a part. Her abdomen was bruised, her head felt as if it were about to explode, and her pride was damaged beyond repair. Not to mention she was beyond irritated. She hated Cell's calm and collected nature, the way he had toyed with her as they fought, and how he was eventually able to toss her around like a rag doll when he increased his power. She was not sure why she had agreed to to be a part of his little idea, which only added to her frustrations. However, her irritation went beyond Cell and shot directly towards herself. Why was it that every time Cell spoke, every time his eyes captured hers, she felt herself unable to concentrate and unable to gather her thoughts together?

_Perhaps I'm intrigued with him as well, _Alannah thought, remembering his smooth voice and pink eyes, but quickly shook the idea out of her head.

"The only thing intriguing about him is his power," she said angrily to herself. "If it wasn't for the benefits of knowing his fighting style before the tournament, I wouldn't have agreed to anything."

Satisfied with her self-explanation, Alannah passed Eastern City and decided on visiting Capsule Corporation. Mark and 'Geta would already be in the Time Chamber, and she doubted that Trunks and her father had stayed at Kami's long after breakfast. She sped up a little, ignoring the pain in her stomach. A few good hours of sleep would cure her exhaustion — the pain she would just have to put up with.

After about twenty minutes, she recognized the familiar golden dome of Capsule Corp. She slowly descended, landing near the rear of the building where the woman she knew as her grandmother stood watering her garden. Upon noticing the newcomer, she gasped in surprise.

"Oh dear!" she exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth. "I didn't know we were going to have more company today!"

Alannah stood, looking around awkwardly for any signs of Trunks.

"That's not company, Mom," came a familiar voice. "This is Alannah. You know, my _future_ daughter?"

Alannah looked over her shoulder to see a younger version of her mother walking up to them. She had apparently been working with some sort of machinery. Her blue hair was tied in a ponytail and her jeans were smudged with what looked like grease. Her smile was warm and welcoming, something that Alannah had grown up with. She couldn't help but smile in return.

"Oh, I see!" Mrs. Brief's chirped happily. "Well, that's just wonderful. You look like you have been training hard. Would you care for some tea?"

"Uh, no thanks," Alannah replied gently. "I came here hoping to find Trunks and maybe rest for a few hours before going back to training."

"Trunks is Master Roshi's," Bulma explained, "but you're more than welcome to use one of the spare bedrooms and bathrooms."

Alannah felt her eyelids growing heavy at the thought of a bed, and she smiled sleepily at her young mother.

"Thanks, Mom."

She made her way into the house, following the familiar hallways and staircases to what she knew as her bedroom. She glanced around in awe; it was a strange feeling being in the building. The walls were clean and stable now, while in her time, they were riddled with holes, smeared with the blackness of smoke and soot, and scratched in so many different places. At one point, an entire section of the roof had been blasted away during an android attack. Alannah shuddered, remembering the fear of that day.

She soon reached the door to her bedroom and opened it slowly. Thankfully, it was setup as a guestroom and ready to be used. She didn't bother with a shower, since she knew she was going to be training later. Instead, she removed her dusty sneakers and torn shirt and pulled back the bedspread. The moment her head fell against the pillow, she found herself falling into a deep and dreamless sleep.


	7. Moonlight

Hey, guys. I hope you're liking what you read so far! I'm currently thinking up ideas about different conflicts and things to spice up the story. I'll have Chapter 8 up tomorrow, hopefully. R&R is always appreciated! :D

***

The moonlight spilled itself through the curtain and onto the foot of Alannah's bed. She stared at it sleepily, not quite comprehending where she was. It was so quiet and still. The room she was in felt so familiar, but she couldn't be at home. It was too peaceful to be her home, but then her mind began remembering: androids, time machine, her father, the tournament, Cell.

She sat up slowly, her heel of her hands pressed into her eyes. She refused to believe that she slept through evening, but the darkness and stillness of the world told her otherwise. Reaching over to the bedside table, she turned on the lamp and was momentarily blinded by the sheer brightness of it. She looked down to shield her eyes and noticed her white shirt lying in ruins on the floor and her black shoes now brown with dust. She began to silently curse herself for leaving her capsules at Kami's Lookout until she noticed the Saiyan combat suit folded neatly on a nearby chair with the armor, gloves, and boots resting beside it.

Alannah smiled at the thought of all the hard work her mother did and graciously took the suit. She dressed herself slowly, trying her best to get her thoughts together. Her mind wandered back to the day's previous interactions with Cell, how he had pushed her, advised her, and most surprisingly, how gentle he had been with her towards the end. He was a ruthless killer and a monster, but when he had placed his hands on her shoulders, she felt a rush of heat flow throughout her body. She had shivered not out of fear, but out of anticipation — for what she did not know. After sliding on her suit and armor, she slipped her feet into her soft boots and pulled on the crisp gloves. She looked at herself in the mirror, the soft glow of the lamp behind her silhouetting her curves. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Cell noticed things about her like she did him, but she quickly pushed this thought away.

_He's an android and the enemy_, she reminded herself as she pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. However, she couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that ever since she met him, he seemed to occupy a great deal of her time. Stepping out of her room, Alannah quietly made her way down the halls towards the front door, doing her best not to awaken anybody. When she was outside, she was shocked at how late it really was. The air was icy, signaling that it was maybe around one or two in the morning. Alannah grit her teeth against the cold air as she flew towards the tournament arena and increased her speed so that her aura could warm her.

She reached the ring in record time and was unsurprised to see Cell motionless in the middle, almost like a statue. The night's darkness shaded his figure, but she could still recognize the unique features of his body: his stature and demeanor were really quite impressive, even alluring, but Alannah would not admit this, not even to herself. She stood in silence, the sounds of night enveloping them both. After a few moments, Cell turned his head to the side and stared at her, his eyes widening slightly. The moonlight glided past her figure, caressing her shiny black hair, and the skin-tight fabric of the combat suit accentuated her curves. It gleamed against the silvery light, and with her hair the way it was, he could see her defined cheekbones and the ever-present confidence in her eyes.

It only took him a few seconds to realize that he was staring, and his head was soon facing forward and away from her.

"I thought you may have realized your weakness and given up," he said harshly, but his irritation was more so directed at himself. How could he have stared at her like that, as if he was nothing more than a mere man? No, he was not a weakling and he refused to behave like one.

He heard her snort from behind him.

"I bet you would have liked that," she replied, her tone matching his. "But I don't refuse a challenge when it's offered, so be prepared to see a lot of me before this little tournament of yours."

Cell smirked and turned to face her. "No, I suppose I should not expect anything less from a Saiyan like yourself. I do believe stubbornness runs in your family."

Alannah was surprised to find herself smirking as well. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she somewhat enjoyed their verbal sparring. It kept her on her toes and gave her an opportunity to show him up. She took time to stretch out her stiff muscles, ignoring the fact that Cell was watching her. The cold air was seeping in through the fabric of her suit, but her muscles were warming up and ready to fight. She stood up straight and stretched her back before placing herself in a solid fighting stance. She looked up at Cell and smiled.

"Ready?" she asked, her body tingling with excitement and anticipation. To her surprise, Cell simply shook his head.

"No."

Alannah stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"No? What do you mean 'no'? Don't tell me that you're scared?"

Cell frowned. "I fear nothing," he replied, "but I meant what I said. We will not be sparring tonight. There is a more important matter we must attend to."

"And what, may I ask, is that?"

"Your emotions."

"Emotions aren't something you can control, Cell," she said defiantly, knowing what he was getting at. "People feel for a reason, and if I could control my emotions, don't you think I would?"

Cell shook his head, but Alannah could see a smile on his angelic face. "You really are a foolish girl," he chuckled. "Strong-willed individuals can control their emotions, but if you are not up for the challenge…" He turned his back to her and began walking towards the middle of the ring, his hand waving in the air as if to shoo her away.

"Cut the crap!" Alannah growled, ignoring the glare she received. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to think about what makes you angry," Cell responded, his voice thick with arrogance. "Preferably, I want you to think about whatever made you so upset that night near the creek. I assume it had something to do with your father."

Alannah scowled at him but did not argue. Lowering her head and closing her eyes, she brought herself back to that day, back to her past and back to the lonely staircase. She listened to her parents as they argued, listened as her mother sobbed, and listened as her father did his best to comfort her. She remembered his smile, his demeanor, his lack of fear. She struggled with the memory of that night and the realization that he would not be returning. Gritting her teeth, Alannah felt her power rising, but for some reason, her sadness and anger were not fueling the fire. She knew it was because he was watching her, because she was trying to force herself to feel.

"I know that there is more to your anger than that," Cell said quietly. "Bring it out and feel the pain."

She tried, her body shaking with frustration and effort. However, her power remained static.

"Perhaps you need a different type of encouragement."

At these words, Alannah's eyes snapped open and her head immediately shot up. Cell had spoken, but his voice was different. It was cold, maniacal, and all too familiar.

"Would you like to know how your father died?" Cell's lips were moving, but she couldn't believe her ears. It was Android 17.

"He died on the cement like a cowering dog."

Alannah clenched her fists.

"He begged us to spare him. He couldn't even land a punch."

She closed her eyes tightly, her tears cascading down her cheeks.

"The best part was his tears. He cried like a child."

That was it. Alannah couldn't take it anymore. Her power was increasingly immensely, sending what felt like electricity throughout her body. Her hair burst into a plethora of golden spikes, and she fell to her knees as she tried to contain her power, to control her emotions.

"No," came Cell's accented voice, "I want you to feel the anger."

At that point, Alannah let her emotions slide through her weak barrier and the golden aura around her grew. The ground was shaking slightly, the deep rumble of the Earth drowned out by her frustrated screams. Her power continued to grow.

"Good. Now, extinguish it."

Alannah looked up at Cell helplessly, her tear-stricken face showing confusion and pain. He looked down at her with what could only be described as disgust.

"Do not show me your weakness," he stated. "Ignore the pain and focus your energy. Push your emotion to the pit of your stomach and extinguish it."

Removing her eyes from his, Alannah stared at the glossy white tiles of the arena. She felt as if she were dying with her heart twisting in pain. Her father had died in vain, and she lived in a world where people continued to die by the thousands each day. They lived in fear, chaos, agony. She couldn't take it. She couldn't stand it. She didn't want to have to feel this pain. She wanted to be able to push it away or at the very least utilize it. With a great amount of effort, she focused her energy and swallowed her emotions. Her body was shaking and she screamed as her power focused itself painfully in the center of her body. With one gigantic surge of strength, Alannah felt her anger and sadness dissipate, and she collapsed onto the cold tile floor.

Cell stood still, watching her intently. For a moment, he thought that she was unconscious, but then he noticed her body shaking slightly.

She was crying.

He watched as she slowly got to her feet and turned her body so that he was facing away from him.

"You did well," Cell admitted gently. He was indeed impressed by the amount of power she possessed.

"Leave me alone."

Her voice was soft and sad and barely above a whisper, but Cell's keen sense of hearing picked up her words perfectly.

"Well considering you're in _my _arena, my dear," he said with a chuckle. He looked at her back, studying her figure before turning his back to her. "I suppose we're done for the night. You may leave."

"No."

Cell glared at her from the corner of his eye. "Excuse me?"

Alannah turned to face him, her tears shining in the moonlight. There was obvious anger within her beautiful face, along with traces of sadness and defeat. With the exception of her family, no one had ever seen her cry like this. No one had ever brought her to her knees from sheer emotional turmoil. She was angry that she had been so weak and so vulnerable in front of him. She was angry about what he had said about her father, even though she knew it was not true. She glared at him with a look of death in her eyes before forcing her hair into the golden mass of spikes. Cell's eyes widened.

"You are still no match for me," he said quietly. It was the truth, but Alannah did not care.

"You wanted me to be angry, so now deal with it."

She took to the air and shot off towards the area they had fought in earlier that day. Cell could not help but smile as he followed her. She truly was a fascinating creature.

***

They sparred mercilessly throughout the night, and Cell was surprised to see just how much her power had increased due to her outburst. She got numerous shots in — punches to the face, kicks to the abdomen and neck — and despite her eventual exhaustion, she continued to fight. She was no longer being controlled by her emotions, but rather learning to utilize them to make her a better fighter. She was just as fast as Cell, but the android was still stronger. The black sky was turning a deep blue with the beginning of dawn when he landed a punch that sent Alannah crashing into the rocks below. When she did not move, he went to her. Her body was bruised, bloodied, and unresponsive to his words or touch. She was unconscious and hurt, but still alive; he knew because he could still feel her tantalizing life force.

Gently, he lifted her limp body into his arms like an infant and stiffened when he felt her head resting against his chest. He looked down at her and frowned. Whether she knew it or not, she was doing something to him, making him feel something other than an interest in her fighting capabilities. They were feelings he was unfamiliar with, and his growing admiration of the Saiyan female in his arms left him feeling uneasy. Growling to himself, he shot off into the sky. The sun would be rising soon and the last thing he wanted was for her to wake up in his arms.


	8. Confrontations

Longest chapter yet. Let me know what you think.

I should probably say again that I don't own DBZ and that Alannah, Mark, and 'Geta are three characters that I created.

***

"Alannah? Alannah, wake up."

"Maybe she's dead."

"'Geta, that's not funny."

"I didn't say it was."

Alannah stirred slightly at the sound of her brothers' voices. They sounded distant, as if there was a barrier between them, and even further were the sounds of morning doves. Her eyelids fluttered opened. Four pairs of blue eyes stared down at her. Trunks' once long, lavender hair had been cut and now rested just above his ears. 'Geta looked older and remarkably _more _similar to their father. His hair was no longer short, but was rather unruly and resembling black fire. Propping herself on her elbows, Alannah gazed past them and at her familiar surroundings. She was lying outside Capsule Corporation, and by the amount of the moisture that had seeped through her combat suit, she presumed she had been on the grass for a good four hours. Focusing her mind, she struggled to remember how she got there. The last thing she remembered was being punched by Cell and falling to the ground before her vision went black. Looking down on herself, she noticed that her once navy blue combat suit was dusty and tattered, dried blood crusting the outside of the tears. Her gloves were covered in dirt and grime and she was missing a boot. There was no possible way she could have flown all the way back to her house in the condition she was in. She would have remembered, or, at the very least, collapsed early in her flight. She couldn't help the small smile that crept to her lips at the realization of who brought her here.

She tried to get to her feet, but Trunks pushed her down with a firm hand.

"Not so fast, Alannah," he said sternly. "You were unconscious for who knows how long. You need to lie down until Mark gets back."

Alannah rolled her eyes. "Trunks, I'm okay. I don't need Mark to play doctor. Just give me a Zensu bean and I'll be fine."

"I'll have you know that I'm quite capable of assessing the injured," Mark said as he approached them. He had on a pair of kaki pants and a long sleeved white shirt. He looked older as well, with his dark blue hair a tad bit longer, but not much different from before. He pulled out one of the tiny green miracle beans from his pocket and tossed it to Alannah, who chewed it graciously.

She felt her body grow warm almost immediately. Her energy was returning and she could feel new strength and vitality returning to her worn out muscles. She stood up with ease and ran a hand through her knotted black hair.

"You must have had one intense training session," 'Geta remarked as he folded his arms across his chest. One of his eyebrows was cocked and he looked at her with suspicion. Alannah ignored him and turned her attention towards Mark.

"You look like you're in one of your intelligent moods," she teased. "When did you guys find me here?"

"About half an hour ago," Trunks replied. "It was still somewhat early, so we didn't think anyone else would be up. Mark went to Korin's to get you a Zensu bean while 'Geta and I made sure you were alright."

"Well, it looks like I'm going to live," she said in mock relief. She turned to 'Geta. "And to answer _your _question, my training is extremely intensive. I always train my best when I'm alone."

"I'm sure you do," 'Geta replied. His tone was suspicious and wary, and Alannah wondered if he knew more than he was letting on. Because they were twins, they had an incredibly strong bond. There had been many occasions in their own time when she knew 'Geta was in trouble, even though she could not see or hear him. She could just _sense _it and the same could be said for him. She did her best to ignore his stares and put up a mental wall.

Upon hearing the front door open behind them, all four turned. Bulma stood and stared out at them. She smiled, but it was not enough to hide her exhaustion. She wore a white lab coat over the clothes she had been wearing the previous day, and her cerulean hair was sticking up in various places.

"I thought I heard voices out here," she said as she tried to stifle a yawn. She looked at her three future children, her eyes widening when she noticed 'Geta. "Gosh," she muttered. "If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn you were the other Vegeta, and you, you must be Mark."

Mark nodded and smiled. "You look tired, Mom."

"You bet I'm tired. I've been up all night trying to figure out the circuitry for Android 16. His programming is far more advanced than anything I've ever seen. It's really quite amazing what Dr. Gero did with him."

"There's an Android 16?" Mark asked, his eyes widening slightly. 'Geta and Alannah were taken back as well.

Bulma nodded. "Yeah, but you don't need to worry. For some reason, he's on our side. Dr. Gero created him for the sole purpose of destroying Goku, but he seems to be advancing past his programming. He's determined to help save the world. Cell really did a number on him, though. I'm scared that I might not be able to fix him in time for the Cell Games."

"Do you think I could have a look at him?"

"Yeah, sure," Bulma replied, smiling at her youngest. "I forgot you were a tech savvy like your dear sweet mom. Follow me."

Mark followed Bulma back into the house and towards the lab where Android 16 awaited his repairs. Trunks eventually mumbled something about finding their stubborn father and took off into the sky, leaving 'Geta and Alannah standing alone in the open yard of Capsule Corp. They stood in silence for a few moments while Alannah tried to ignore the fact that 'Geta was staring at her.

"Do you have to look at me like that?" she snapped, her eyes shooting daggers into his. 'Geta did not falter.

"Do you really need to keep secrets from me?"

Alannah looked away then. She felt heat rushing towards her face and she knew she was blushing. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said quietly.

"Alannah, I felt your energy surging when I was in the Time Chamber, but I also felt another power with you. It was faint, but I could still sense it. Don't talk to me as if I'm an idiot."

She gave him an apologetic look and sighed. "Can we talk about this somewhere else?"

'Geta nodded and the two made their way into the house. When they reached Alannah's bedroom, she slumped down into the desk chair.

"So," he said after closing the door behind him, "what's going on? Why on Earth were you fighting with Cell before the tournament?"

"I wasn't exactly _fighting_ with him."

'Geta gave her a confused look.

"I was training with him," Alannah said, sighing in defeat. "When I went to the forest yesterday morning, he was there. It's a long story, but he eventually said that he wanted to train me, or train with me, whichever. I don't know why I agreed, but it just felt like something I needed to do."

She looked up at her twin and was not surprised to see his mouth open slightly and his eyes widened with disbelief.

"I can't believe it," he exclaimed, his tone rather neutral.

Alannah looked at the ground. "You're angry."

It was more of a statement than a question. After a moment, she felt 'Geta's warm hand resting gently on her shoulder, and she looked up at him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. He smiled down on her and shook his head.

"You're my twin, Alannah. I'm not angry. Surprised, but not angry. I'd like to think that I know you well enough to know that you won't become some evil freak bent on destroying Earth. If it's something that you feel you need to do, then by all means, do it. Just be careful. I don't trust Cell."

Alannah smiled before getting up and hugging her brother tightly. "I felt like I was betraying you guys," she said quietly, her embrace tightening. "It means so much for me to hear that from you."

"Some people might feel betrayed," 'Geta replied, patting her back gently. "You and I are bonded because we are twins. Not everyone is going to understand you like I do."

Alannah pulled away and nodded at her brother's statement.

"Do Trunks and Mark know?" she asked, fearing the answer. She hated keeping secrets from her family, but she wasn't ready to explain everything to everyone just yet.

"He could feel your power surge and Cell's as well, but he couldn't put two and two together like I did. I could feel your emotions, so I knew the connections between you and Cell. Whether anyone else knows, I'm not sure, but I doubt any of them do."

Feeling a wave of relief rush through her, Alannah placed a quick kiss on 'Geta's cheek.

"I have a lot more work to do," she explained, tugging off her dirty gloves. "You may have gotten your fill of training, but I haven't. Please, don't say anything to anyone."

Without another word, she rushed out of the room and down towards her mother's lab. 'Geta watched her as she quickly ran down the hall and disappeared from sight. Shaking his head, he wondered if she had known what he meant when he had said he could sense her and Cell's connections. He hadn't wanted to delve into the topic any further, just in case she wasn't ready to face her growing affection for the android. He trusted her, but he did not trust Cell. Alannah was a big girl, though, and could take care of herself. Nevertheless, he promised himself that he would be there if she fell.

***

Sporting a new black combat suit and sparkling clean armor, Alannah rushed through the sky towards Eastern City. She was eager to begin training again. She had an enormous amount of energy thanks to the Zensu bean and felt stronger than ever. Although the previous night had been painful, it was without a doubt the best training she had ever had. She had been more focused and more agile. She had felt her emotions, but had not let them make her decisions for her. In the back of her mind, she still could not believe that Cell was helping her achieve such a great accomplishment. The tournament was in a week, and if she continued to progress, she may just become as strong.

_Then again, that's probably what he wants_, Alannah thought to herself. She couldn't help but smile when she thought of him. She was grateful for what he was doing for her and she had to constantly remind herself that he was the enemy so that her affection would not show.

Affection. The realization made her stop suddenly in mid-flight. Could she really feel affection for someone like Cell? He wanted to destroy the world, kill everyone and everything she loved, and more than likely kill her as well. And yet, he was helping her. She could never have achieved as much as she had in just one day's time. He had pushed her, but at the same time, had been remarkably gentle. He had let her rest when she needed and had brought her to her house when she was unconscious. Sometimes, when he looked at her, she thought she could see something more than just intrigue in his eyes. These thoughts pushed their way into her mind and Alannah felt her heart grow warm. She understood at that point the seriousness of her realization: she was falling for the enemy.

When she arrived at the ring, Alannah was surprised to see that Cell was missing. In fact, his energy felt extremely distant. She sat down in the corner of the arena and rested her back against the pillar. The afternoon heat was making her sweat profusely and she was beginning to grow angry over Cell's absence. After waiting for over an hour, she stood up to leave, but something caught her attention. Hundreds of streams of golden light were shooting across the sky, and Alannah shielded her eyes from the sun as she watched the spectacle. It lasted for about twenty minutes, the last streams of light eventually disappearing from her vision.

"Enjoying the light show?"

Alannah spun around at the sound of Cell's voice. She felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw his face, but she quickly regained her voice.

"And where exactly have _you _been?" she demanded angrily. "I've been waiting here for over an hour!"

Cell chuckled. "Silly girl. Just because you can't be without me doesn't mean the feelings are mutual."

Alannah felt her cheeks burning.

"You're impossible!" she spat, hoping he didn't realize her embarrassment. He stared at her for a moment, and she thought he was going to throw out another witty comment, but instead he just smirked and turned his back to her. She glared at him, thinking that he was the vilest thing on the planet, but she soon remembered his moments of gentleness. A small smile crossed her face as she walked up to him. Placing a delicate hand on his right wing, she felt his body stiffen, but she continued to run her hand along its smooth surface as she made her way to his side.

"I know you were the one who brought me to my house," she said affectionately as she looked up at the side of his face. His right eye gazed upon her.

"It was either that or have you taking up space in my ring," he explained, removing his eyes from her and closing them tightly.

"You could have left me where I had fallen."

Cell snorted. "I have more tact than that, Alannah."

_Yes, you do_, Alannah thought to herself, her smile growing, _more than I think you want to admit_.

She let her touch slide off of his wing and placed her hands on her hips.

"So, what's on today's agenda?"

"Sparring," Cell replied, opening his eyes. "But this time I'll be raising my power to a far greater level. Do you think you can handle that?"

Alannah smirked up into his magenta eyes. "Oh, I can handle it. The real question is, can you handle me?"

Without giving him a chance to respond, Alannah shot off into the sky, and was happy to see that he was following her. She lowered herself down near the area where they usually sparred and watched as he did the same. She placed herself in her fighting stance and waited for Cell to make the first move. The android smirked at her eagerness. She was ready to fight him without even understanding his true power. It was foolish, really, and yet he admired it. Much to his dismay, he had found himself admiring her quite often.

Clenching his fists, his smile faded and was replaced with one of concentration as he focused his energy. His power level began to increase, forcing Alannah to strengthen her stance in anticipation. The ground beneath her was beginning to rumble and the air around them was shifting. Cell's eyes were locked on hers as golden lightening sparked around him, his golden aura growing with his power. Alannah's eyes widened when she realized just how strong he was making himself. He was much more powerful than she originally thought, and the fact that this wasn't all of it left her in despair. She kept a firm face though, always unfaltering when it mattered the most. From the corner of her eye, she could see the hills around her cracking and she had to quickly move out of the way so that she wasn't crushed when they collapsed. Eventually, Cell relaxed both his face and body, his eyes shining with pride and arrogance. He slowly got into his fighting stance and Alannah did the same.

"Ready, my dear?" he asked quietly.

Alannah responded by changing into a Super Saiyan, her gold aura now matching his. Immediately, Cell charged at her, swinging his fist and making contact with her delicate face. Alannah was flung back, but quickly recovered, jumping from a large boulder and using it to propel her forward towards the android. She brought her right fist towards the side of his face, but he easily blocked it. However, Alannah was quick and she hooked her left fist upwards, making contact with his chin. Cell flew and she quickly phased in front of his approaching body. Before she could strike, however, he phased out of sight and Alannah felt a jarring pain in her back as he kicked her towards the ground below. She hit the jagged rocks with an agonizing scream, but immediately picked herself up.

She was about to attack when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She gasped at the sight of the golden energy beam, its massive strength pushing through the air towards Cell. Having already seen it, Cell moved himself so that it would miss, which it did, but not before placing a cut on his pale gray face. Alannah stared in the direction from which the blast came, and before she knew it, she saw a streak of lavender and Trunks was standing before her.

"Trunks!"

"Alannah, are you okay? I felt your energy. Did he hurt you?" Trunks turned his head and glared behind him at the android that was now descending towards the ground.

"Trunks, I'm fine. I just —"

"Cell, you monster!" Trunks yelled, cutting Alannah off. "How dare you lay your hands on my sister!"

Cell glared at Trunks as he wiped his bloodied cheek with the back of his hand. "How dare you shove your face into _our _business," the android replied coolly, placing an enormous amount of emphasis on the one word that connected him to Alannah. Trunks merely snorted.

"You have no business with my sister."

"Is that so? Well, perhaps she would like to explain some things to you."

Alannah gaped at Cell in horror as Trunks turned to look at her, his eyes full of confusion and concern.

She sighed, unwilling to waste any time. She didn't want to prolong the inevitable anymore. "I agreed to let Cell train me until the tournament, Trunks."

"What? Alannah, you can't be serious. He's a cold-blooded killer, a machine, the symbol of everything we've been fighting against back at home!"

"I know, Trunks, but you need to understand —"

"Understand what, Alannah? That you're taking pointers from the enemy? That you trust someone who has already killed me in another timeline? All this time, I thought you were by yourself when you were really with _him_." Trunks glared behind him at the android. "No," he continued, "no I don't think I need to understand anything more. I hope the training has been worth it."

Before she had time to respond, Trunks was gone, his aura fading before her eyes. Alannah's heart felt as if it had fallen into her stomach. Her older brother had never talked to her like that before and it broke her to see him so betrayed. He had come here to protect her and all she had done was hurt him.

"Well, that was rather entertaining," Cell said with a smirk. He was standing beside her now, arms crossed, looking into the direction Trunks had disappeared. Alannah felt her anger boiling over and she couldn't help but lash out. She pushed Cell away from her with so much force that he almost fell over. He stared at her in shock.

"_Don't _talk to me!" she screamed. "Why did you have to antagonize him like that? He was only trying to protect me because he thought I was in trouble! I had a better way of letting him know what you and I are doing."

Cell's look of shock quickly turned into a scowl. "_He _attacked _me_, so if anything, you should be blaming him. I did not antagonize him and I do not appreciate your outburst."

"I don't care," Alannah seethed. She was so incredibly angry — at herself, at Trunks, at Cell. The last thing she wanted was a lecture from an android.

"You should," Cell responded matter-of-factly. "How was I supposed to know that you were keeping our little get-togethers a secret?"

Alannah gritted her teeth and stared at the ground, defeated. He was right. She had been wrong to lash out the way she did.

"I-I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Save your apologies," Cell snorted before flexing his wings and taking to the air. Alannah followed him as he made his way back to the ring. He was angry. It didn't take a scientist to figure that out, but couldn't he tell that she was angry too? She had been expecting a good day and everything had crashed down on her in an instant. Cell landed gracefully in the middle of the arena, his back turned to her. She didn't need to ask to know that their training was over for the day, but she couldn't help herself as she walked up to him and placed a hand on his right wing. His body stiffened under her touch.

"I'm sorry," she said again, only this time her voice did not falter. She walked past him with every intention of leaving, but Cell grabbed her wrist.

"I'll be expecting you later tonight."

Alannah smiled and nodded, but said nothing.

She slowly made her way back to Capsule Corporation, the late afternoon sun bearing down on her back. She figured Trunks was close to home now, and she found herself dreading the conflict that was to come.

***

She had taken her time flying back in order to gather her thoughts and prepare her explanations. She knew Trunks would tell everyone what had happened, and she didn't blame him, nor could she blame him for being angry with her. She landed outside the domed building and silently made her way inside. The minute she opened the door, she heard heated voices coming from the living room. Cautiously, Alannah made her way up the staircase and peered inside. Trunks was in there, as were Mark, 'Geta, Yamcha, Krillin, Goku, and her mother.

"Trunks, Alannah is not a child. She can take care of herself," 'Geta explained, his voice heavy with frustration. At the sound of her name, Alannah sat down on the top step and the familiarity of her position sent a shiver down her spine.

"I never said she was a child, 'Geta," Trunks responded. "Why are you not surprised by the fact that she's been spending all her time with that monster?"

"She's my twin. I understand her completely."

Trunks sighed heavily. "Well, I don't understand either of you. Cell could _kill _her, and yet she seems to trust him, and now you do too."

"I don't trust Cell," 'Geta corrected him, "but I do trust Alannah. Before we spent time in the Time Chamber, Alannah was stronger than all of us. She wouldn't have agreed to let Cell train her if she didn't have a good reason to."

From her spot on the stairs, Alannah could see 'Geta and Trunks arguing. Mark sat on the couch, his eyes studying some sort of scientific blueprint. Bulma was watching her two sons anxiously, as were Yamcha, Krillin, and Goku.

"During the tournament, if it comes down to us or Cell, who do you think she'll choose 'Geta?" Trunks asked. "I mean, how are we sure that he's not trying to manipulate her to get her on his side."

"Yikes," Krillin exclaimed from his spot on the couch. "Having Cell to fight is bad enough, but Alannah too?"

"Trunks," Goku said gently, "I may not know Alannah as well as you, but I can tell you that she's not capable of betraying anyone, let alone you guys. She's your family."

"But you should have seen the look on Cell's face, Goku," Trunks replied, shaking his head as he sat down in a chair. "It was as if he was proud that he had Alannah and was able to use her against me. I honestly think he's manipulating her in some way."

More words floated towards Alannah, but her mind was too numb to comprehend them. She drew a sharp intake of breath, trying to quell the guilt she was feeling. Silently, she made her way down the stairs and out the front door without anyone noticing. Suppressing her energy so that no one would be able to trace her, she flew slowly towards Eastern City and the small clearing within the woods. She needed to think things over.

***

By the time she reached Eastern City, it was near dusk. The air was beginning to chill and the sun was making its slow descent towards the horizon. Finding the creek, Alannah lay next to it in the grass, her eyes focused on the changing colors of the sky: blue, pink, orange, yellow. She closed her eyes and imagined Cell — his magenta eyes, his handsome face, his smooth voice, and his arrogant yet alluring personality. She could no longer deny the fact that she was attracted to him. She didn't think it was possible, yet here she was, swooning over a creature that she had come to destroy. She wasn't even sure if he felt the same way. Perhaps he_ was_ just using her; maybe he would take her hostage and threaten her if things didn't go his way during the tournament. Alannah's mind raced with possibilities and worse case scenarios, but none of them felt right in her heart.

However, betraying the ones she loved did not feel right either. Opening her eyes, she found herself shaded in the darkness of the approaching night. Slowly, she got to her feet. Cell would be expecting her any time now, and she figured she owed him a farewell until the tournament, because she doubted she would be back.


	9. Now or Never

Here's chapter nine! It's a little short, but I hope you guys enjoy it!

Thanks to all of those who have reviewed. I really appreciate it! :]

***

The sky was growing darker by the minute. Shadows were creeping out from behind the buildings and trees of Eastern City, and Alannah felt as if they could reach up and snatch her from the sky. Most people had evacuated, leaving the streets deadly quiet. Alannah flew overhead, gazing at the desolate city. She had made her decision to stop training with Cell after her confrontation with Trunks. She couldn't seem to escape her memories of betrayal and the look of utter horror in his eyes. What pained her the most was the possibility that he no longer trusted her. He was her older brother, and after all they had been through at home, she couldn't stand that idea. She had agreed to the training out of curiosity and something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She didn't want to admit that it was because of her affections for Cell — it was an absurd notion, considering she had not known him for more than two days then. However, she still knew him less than a week now and could no longer deny the fact that something was growing inside of her, something that made her eyes linger over his figure for a second too long and that made her breath catch when her eyes met his.

_"I honestly think he's manipulating her in some way."_

Trunks' words reverberated in her skull. The thought made her uneasy and angry, only because it was an actual possibility. Cell had taught her so much in such a short amount of time and had pushed her to deal with a problem she never realized she had. The Cell she knew didn't seem nearly as bad as the one everyone else seemed to know. Every time she was around him, she seemed to forget about how many people he killed, how many lives he destroyed, and how much of a threat he was to her and the rest of the universe.

Could she really have been that much of an idiot to let herself become vulnerable and be manipulated? He was an android bent on destroying the planet. He didn't care for her. He was going to kill her if he got his way. The realization was enough to anger her and deepen her understandings of what she had to do. Flying hastily towards Cell's arena, she decided it would be best to swallow whatever admirable feelings she had for the android, if not for herself, than for her family.

After a few moments, she caught a glimpse of the arena, the white tiles shimmering in the silver moonlight. Cell, of course, was in the middle. She landed quietly behind him.

"I'm surprised to see your body guard did not accompany you this time," he said, his head turned so that he could see her. Her eyes were focused on the ground, so he took time to marvel at her beauty.

"It's over, Cell," she replied quietly, ignoring his comment. She didn't dare look up and gaze into his eyes. There was silence for a long moment before he responded.

"I've heard that phrase spoken many times. Perhaps you would care to elaborate?"

"Our training. It's over. I came to let you know that I won't be back, not until the tournament."

Alannah heard him shift himself so that he was now facing her, but she refused to move her eyes. She could feel him staring at her, whether with anger, surprise, or sadness she didn't know. She didn't care. She _couldn't _care. She had to stop things before they got out of hand for her. She may have made a mistake in going along with the training, but that didn't mean she had to continuing screwing up.

"What did that weakling brother of yours say to you, Alannah?"

"He said something that made me realize what a mistake it was to be around you," Alannah responded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I should have known that on my own, but I guess I'm more naïve than I thought."

Cell stared at her in wonder and surprise. He had offered her the training simply as a means of passing the time and obtaining more of a challenge from the pathetic planet. Granted, he had found of looks appealing then, but that did not play a role in his original intentions. However, the more he saw of her, the more he found himself becoming familiar with emotions he had never felt. He had had to assure himself numerous times that she would eventually be gone with the rest of the planet once the tournament was over. But now, as she spoke, he realized just how strong their attachments had become. She had been upset about her Trunks earlier in the day, but Cell sensed that something else was bothering her, something more personal that had to deal with him. Not knowing what to think or feel, he decided it best to appeal to the emotion he knew all too well.

"Perhaps it was a mistake," he said, his voice dripping in anger. "It was a mistake to waste my time on a pathetic creature like you. I thought that perhaps you were different than the others, stronger and more intelligent, but I see now that I was wrong. How foolish of me."

He turned his back away from her and was expecting her to leave, _willing _her to leave. He didn't want to have to deal with her and his emotions any longer, but luck was not on his side. Alannah's eyes bore into his back, a deep scowl etched into her face.

"How dare you say something like that to me!" she spat. "I had the decency to come here and at least say goodbye and explain and _that's _what you say to me? But oh, wait; I shouldn't have expected anything less from an insensitive _bastard _such as yourself. How foolish of —"

Alannah's words were cut short by Cell's strong fingers gripping her neck. Her back hit one of the stone pillars, knocking the wind out of her lungs. The android's face was dangerously close to hers with his pink eyes glaring at her intently.

"Let-go-of-me!" she choked out. Her mind was beginning to grow fuzzy from a lack of oxygen as she tried to pry away the hands that held her bruising throat, but his power was growing.

"You haven't seen how much of an _insensitive bastard _I really am," Cell growled, his voice sounding harsh and foreign. He tightened his grip. Alannah stared into his eyes with her crystal hues, a pleading and apologetic look flashing across them.

"Please, Cell, don't."

Her voice was unafraid and unwavering, as if her life wasn't hanging in the balance at that very moment, and with her words, Cell felt his grip loosen. Eventually, he released her completely, and Alannah slumped to the arena floor in a burst of coughing and sputters. It took her a moment to regain her composure and comprehend what had just happened.

"You should leave."

Alannah looked up at Cell, who stood facing away from her. His head was turned to the side as if he were looking at her, but his eyes were closed, and his arms hung dejectedly at his sides. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt wash over her for what she had said to him, but he had deserved it, hadn't he? She stood up slowly and, for reasons she couldn't understand, made her way to him. A light breeze picked up, brushing past her and sweeping the loose strands of black hair away from her face. She reached up to touch Cell's arm, but his voice stopped her.

"You should listen to your brother," he stated, and for once, his voice was neither arrogant nor mocking, but despondent.

"I know you don't really think that," Alannah replied, letting her hand rest on his arm. His skin was smooth and warm, and she could feel his muscles tensing and relaxing as he mulled over what she had just said.

"What I think does not matter. It would be best for both of us if you just do what you came here for and leave."

Alannah stared at him curiously. His head was bowed slightly, his eyes still closed. Shadows played gently across his face as wispy clouds moved in front of the moon, breaking its soft glow. He looked as if he was in intense thought or pretending she was not at his side. _It would be best for both of us _— what did that even mean? She had not done anything to him, at least she didn't think she had, except maybe hurt his pride. She considered her feelings for him then, wondering what he thought of her. He had been moments away from killing her not too long ago. All it would have taken was a slight squeeze, and yet, he had let her go, and she couldn't help but wonder if a small part of him really did care for her.

The possibilities swirled into her mind one right after the other — Manipulation or affection? Trust or deceit? Alannah was getting tired of it.

"Cell?" she finally said, breaking the silence with her determination. "May I ask you something?"

When he didn't respond, Alannah felt her heart tear a little. She let her hand drop from his arm and looked at him with hurt eyes. He couldn't see her, but even if he could have, she didn't care. She wasn't afraid to be vulnerable anymore, but she refused to be weak. Holding her head high, she turned around and walked towards the edge of the arena. She had her answer.

_Perhaps the Hyperbolic Time Chamber isn't such a bad idea after all_, she thought, her feet lifting off the ground.

"What is your question, Alannah?"

The sound of his voice forced her feet back down to the tiled floor. She looked back at him with surprise in her eyes, but he was still facing away from her. She took a few steps towards him and inhaled deeply. It was now or never.

"Cell, do you care about me?"

***

Ahh, a cliff hanger!

I know, I'm horrible. :P


	10. Blood and Desire

Hi, everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story!

Thanks again for all the reviews. You guys are the greatest!

***

_"Cell, do you care about me?"_

Cell's body had become rigid at her question. She had spoken with so much ease, but he could hear the necessity within her voice, her desire to know the truth about whatever feelings she was having and to know if they were mutual. Although his arms were crossed, he clenched his fists and was thankful that she was standing behind him so that she couldn't see the tormented look on his face. How could she ask him something like that? It was as she were seeing right through him, plucking out the emotions he had tried so hard to suppress and bringing them out in the open. He was the _perfect _being, the _ultimate _creation, but here he was, falling victim to the words and voice of a mere Saiyan female. It was enough to make him want to kill her right then and there, but he couldn't bring himself to lash out at her again.

"You should know better than to ask me such a foolish thing," he said into the night. For a long moment, only silence greeted him.

"It's a simple question, Cell."

"It's anything _but_," he replied in a low growl. He turned to her then, the features of his face shadowed and unseeable by the night. Slowly, he began walking towards her until their bodies were nearly touching. Although she showed no outward signs of nervousness, Alannah's heart was beating mercilessly against her ribs. He was incredibly close, so close that she could feel the heat emanating from his body. She had never realized how tall he really was until now, with her head craned slightly so her blue eyes could stare upwards into his unreadable expression. His eyes gazed into her shining face, trailing over her hair, lips, and the contours of her jaw as he placed his hands on her shoulders. Alannah shivered under his touch.

"All you have to do is say no," she whispered quietly.

Cell's eyes flashed with irritation. "You have no idea, do you?" he replied, his tone dangerously calm. "I have a purpose, Alannah. This world is to fall by my hands and the universe is to follow. I am the epitome of perfection, created to have no flaws and no weaknesses, but ever since I first saw you, I have known nothing but distraction. I cannot explain, nor can I even begin to understand, what you have done to me, and that makes me incredibly angry. You were wrong when you implied that I know nothing of emotion. It's programmed into my very being, but that is all it was meant to ever be: programming. I was never meant to _feel_ anything other than what benefitted my purpose."

He stopped then, not wanting to continue. He hoped she was intelligent enough to latch on to the meaning beneath his words. His pride would not provide him with the voice he needed to give her the direct answer she craved. He squeezed her shoulders lightly and looked deeply into her eyes, hoping for any sign of understanding within their depths. Her skin was like porcelain in the pale moonlight, fragile and beautiful, and as she gazed back at him with fierce intensity, a look of recognition crossed her face. A small, but genuine smile escaped her lips and she leaned in to rest her head against the lower part of his chest before pulling away and bringing her hands up to gently caress his face. She levitated upward so that her face was eventually level with his, their noses barely touching. He felt his body burn with strong desire at their close proximity, and she must have noticed because her smile grew wider. Cell struggled against himself and his urges, but it was no use.

He soon found his lips pressed firmly against hers as he snaked one muscular arm around her waist possessively while the other moved up so that his hand was buried in her silky hair. Alannah responded to his advance almost immediately, unable to control her own desires. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened their kiss, parting her lips and letting him explore her mouth. All previous thoughts of betrayal and guilt melted away with his touch, and she let herself be embraced.

They kissed for what seemed like an eternity, their mouths moving against each other slowly, before Alannah's body began crying for oxygen. Reluctantly, she broke their kiss and let the cool night air fill her lungs. Cell smirked and brought his lips close to her ear.

"This changes nothing, my dear," he whispered in his regal voice, causing Alannah to shiver as his hot breath cascaded over her skin. He was referring to many things: their training, his attitude, the tournament, his purpose. She would have been a fool to think that he would change just because their attraction to one another were out in the open. She didn't know what she expected from him at that moment. All she knew was that she needed to quell her desires before they overtook her completely, and so she kissed him again, nipping at his lower lip. Cell responded by tightening his embrace, smirking slightly at her lack of self-control.

Much to Alannah's disappointment, he broke the kiss and set her down on her feet. He had on his usual arrogant smirk, which made her feel slightly embarrassed for having lost herself that second time. Of course, her face didn't show it. She looked up at him with one eyebrow raised and placed her hands on her hips.

"So what now, Casanova?" she asked, her eyes bright with her usual spirit.

"We train," Cell replied, ignoring her reference to the historical human. She probably thought that he hadn't a clue as to whom she was referring to, anyways. She watched as he turned and began walking towards the middle of the ring. He flexed his wings and looked back at her. "Are you coming?" he called out with a small chuckle. "Or perhaps tasting my perfection was too much for you?"

Alannah felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment and irritation. He shot off into the sky and she followed close behind, watching his distant and shadowed figure as they made its way to their usual training spot. A part of her couldn't believe what had just transpired between them. She had melted into him as if she were made to be in his arms, a thought that left her extremely uneasy. Her mind wandered to Trunks, and she couldn't help the feelings of guilt that rose from her chest. She had come to say goodbye, to end it all before it got too complicated, but she now knew that she was far too involved to just walk away. She decided it best to just keep her guard up until the tournament.

In front of her, Cell was making his descent to the ground and she quickly did the same. They stood a few feet apart, and Alannah could feel his power level rising.

"Like I said before," he said, placing a hand on his hip, "nothing has changed. I will not be going easy on you."

Alannah smirked, digging her feet into the dirt as she settled into her stance.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

***

The sun was beginning to rise above the distant hills, but the calmness of morning was shattered by the sounds of Alannah and Cell's intense sparring. It was the first time they had been able to train without interruptions, and Alannah could feel her body protesting for a rest. However, as Cell said, he was a man of his word and was not easing up, but neither was she.

She flew at him with blinding speed, dodging the array of energy blasts that he was hurling at her from above. One grazed her arm, burning a shallow crater into the side of her bicep. She could smell her flesh singeing, the pain unbearable. Growling angrily, she quickened her speed as the blood dripped down into her clenched fist. She phased out of the way just before Cell's last blast could strike her and appeared right behind him. He turned and looked at her in shock before her fist sent him crashing into the rocks below. She levitated in the air, her chest heaving in exhaustion, waiting for him to unbury himself from the earth.

It had felt good to strike him down. He had been taunting her all morning and pushing her patience to the limit. She was getting stronger. Every successful hit proved that not only to herself, but also to Cell. She smirked as she watched the still ground beneath her. A part of her hoped that she had knocked him unconscious, which would definitely knock him off his arrogant pedestal. Much to her disappointment, however, the ground soon began to shake violently before erupting in a flash of gold light. Alannah covered her face as rocks flew towards her, but she caught a glimpse of Cell as he levitated out of the earth with a deep scowl.

She couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at his ragged appearance— he looked almost as bad as she did, and it was all because of her. His face and arms were covered in fresh cuts that leaked lavender blood and one of his wings seemed to be in bad shape as well. He glared up at her, and upon catching a glimpse of her wounded arm, his scowl turned into an impish grin. Before Alannah had any time to react, she felt Cell's yellow foot coming down sharply across her arm, nudging itself into her wound and causing her to scream out in pain. She clutched her arm tightly and glowered at him. He hovered a few feet away, battered and bloody, but smirking arrogantly nonetheless. He hadn't intended to strike her down. He had simply wanted to irritate her.

"Cell, you're such a bastard!" she screeched, not caring whether he approved of her language or not, but the android let out an amused laugh. Blood was beginning to pool into Alannah's hand. She hesitantly looked down into the mess and immediately wished that she hadn't. There was dirt encrusting the outside of the wound, mixing with her blood and creating a filthy metallic scent. Even worse, there were rocks embedded in the inner layers of skin, which she would have to take out before being able to eat a Senzu bean.

She groaned to herself, not looking forward to the task. It was a disgusting wound, but at least she would live.

"By the look on your face, it looks like we're done for now," Cell said, eyeing her with amusement.

"You think you're _so_ funny, don't you?" Alannah growled, throwing him a nasty look. "I'll have to remind you that I pummeled your sorry ass into the dirt just a few minutes ago."

Cell frowned slightly. "You would have never gotten this far if it weren't for me."

"Yeah, well, excuse me if I don't thank you right away."

Cell merely snorted in response, and the two made their way back to the arena. Despite the amount of pressure she was applying, Alannah's arm continued to bleed. She would need to bandage it and quickly before she lost too much. Her combat suit was torn in many places, and although the synthetic material was not the best, it was going to have to do. She released her grip on her wound and reached up to her shoulder where there was a large tear. In one fluid motion, she pulled down, ripping the material clean off.

Once they reached the arena, she sat down in the corner and attempted to bandage her arm. Cell watched her intently, his eyes gazing over her face. He smiled to see her concentrating as much as she was, her brow furrowed, her cerulean eyes focusing on the task at hand. She was using both her free hand and her teeth to tie a tight knot with her makeshift bandage and did so with expert skill. Little did he know that Alannah had obtained far worse wounds in her own time thanks to Androids 17 and 18. Dressing something like this was no difficult task.

When she was satisfied that her handiwork would hold until she reached Capsule Corp., Alannah stood up and faced Cell. His amazing eyes bore into hers, and she suddenly felt extremely awkward in front of him as the memories of their kiss replaced her adrenaline and flooded her mind. As if he could sense her emotions, Cell began walking towards her, a seductive glint in his eye. He placed his hands softly on her shoulders and lowered his head to her ear, kissing it lightly. The feather-light touch sent shivers through her spine, and she leaned into him.

"I thought you should know," he whispered in a sultry voice, "that you're spilling more blood onto my clean arena."

Alannah's eyes grew wide and her body stiffened as her mind processed the words, eliciting a chuckle from the android. She felt the embarrassment and anger rush up to her cheeks, burning her fair skin a rosy pink. She had fallen into his little trap.

"Get your hands off of me!" she seethed. "You are by far the most annoying thing on this plant, if not the universe! You think that just because —"

Alannah's protests were abruptly cut short as Cell pulled her into him, capturing her lips in a bruising kiss. It took her a moment to realize what was going on, but she soon found herself responding passionately to his actions. Taking his smooth face into her hands, she deepened their kiss, parting her lips so she could feel the heat and moisture of his tongue. After a few minutes, they parted, and Cell looked down at her arm.

"You're still spilling blood, human."

"Yeah, and you're still the most annoying thing on this planet, android," she replied, only this time there was a faint smirk on her flushed lips. Walking back a few steps, she levitated herself into the air and gave him a two finger wave before disappearing into the sky, her blue aura trailing behind her.

Cell watched her leave, a small frown forming on his face as her aura faded. She had infuriated him and pleased him all in the same day. How was that even possible? It was because of her that he had succumbed to his weakling emotions. She shouldn't even be alive right now with the way she spoke to him, and yet, no matter how much he fought, he couldn't escape the thrill and heat that rushed through his body every time he touched her. It had taken all his strength and will power just to pry his lips away from hers.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration

_This is bad_, he thought._ This is very bad_.

***

By the time Alannah reached Capsule Corp., it was still fairly early, but she expected everyone to be awake. She landed near the rear of the domed building and immediately recognized the soft hum of the gravity chamber that sat a few yards to her right. She could sense both her father and Trunks' energies from inside, which she was thankful for. She wasn't sure she could handle seeing her older brother at the moment. Mark and 'Geta were inside, which she didn't mind. They knew better than to get on her bad side.

Making her way to the front door, she took her dirty boots off and made sure she wasn't dripping blood before stepping inside. The savory aroma of pancakes and bacon reached her nose almost immediately, forcing her to acknowledge her hunger for the first time that day. It grumbled rebelliously and lead her into the kitchen where she found her two brothers sitting at the table. 'Geta's back was to her, leaning over his plate as he ate, and Mark sat across from him, his eyes concentrating on some paper he held in his hands.

He looked up briefly and his eyes widened. "You look awful, Alannah."

Alannah shrugged, taking a seat near 'Geta. She reached over to grab a piece of bacon off of his plate, but he moved it so that it was out of her reach.

"You smell like a corpse," he mumbled, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he looked her over. She really did look like a mess. Her combat suit was shredded, her face was covered in dirt, her hair was tangled and dusty, and both of her hands and left arm were covered in dried blood.

"It looks like Cell really showed you, huh?" Mark said with a grin before taking a bite of his own breakfast.

"You should see him," Alannah responded triumphantly as she got up to rinse her hands under the cool kitchen tap. Whoever had made breakfast had definitely prepared a Saiyan feast. The countertops were littered with a variety of foods, including fruit salads, scones, chocolate covered strawberries, and bagels. The stove held hot foods like pancakes, eggs, and bacon. It was enough to make Alannah's mouth water, but 'Geta was right. She smelled horrible and the blood was not coming off as easily as she thought it would. What she really needed was a hot shower.

"Can you guys make sure there's food left for when I get back?" she asked, wiping her wet hands against her legs. "I'm going to go run and take a quick shower."

"Quick?" 'Geta exclaimed. "With the way you smell, please take your time."

Alannah stuck her tongue out playfully and dashed out of the kitchen and towards her bedroom.

"She's in an oddly good mood," Mark commented. He got up and headed over to the counter and began refilling his empty plate.

'Geta turned in his chair and watched as his sister disappeared up the staircase outside the kitchen.

"I can't imagine why."


	11. Trouble Magnet

Here's another chapter for you all. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it (mixed emotions and such), but let me know what you think! I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far.

For old times sake: I don't own DBZ. :]

***

Alannah stood motionless under the hot spray of the shower, allowing the water to flow freely over her dirt-covered body. The heat and steam enveloped her taut muscles and smothered the tension she felt beneath her skin. The water pooling around her feet was turning a ruddy brown and the metallic smell of blood mixed strangely with the fresh scent of lavender soap. As much as her wounded arm burned in protest, Alannah let the water hit it directly, washing out any left over grime. She had

done her best to remove any flecks of rock that sat inside, which unfortunately had left her wound red, raw, and bleeding yet again. Bringing a hand through her slick black mane, she promised herself that she would get Cell back for having given her such a scar.

At that thought, she let a small smile dance its way across her lips, knowing full well that she was giving him a hard enough time as it was. She had sensed his frustration and anguish when he gave into his temptation, kissing her for the first time and allowing her to taste the familiar desire that haunted them both. She had felt the way his arms embraced her when she grazed his lower lip with her teeth. Needless to say, she was in utter shock when he kissed her the second time. He had been more passionate and less hesitant, but his eyes couldn't hide his internal struggle. If he was observant enough, he could have probably sees a similar fight raging within Alannah.

She had let him advance on her. Not once, but twice. Granted, the darkest part had wanted it, but it was still unnerving that she had let her guard down and that she had put herself in such a position to begin with. He was a murderer, a deadly being that could kill without the slightest bit of remorse, and yet she had trusted him enough to let him touch her.

_Maybe you care for him more than you think_, a small voice in her mind proposed.

Shaking her head, Alannah turned off the hot water. Cell was nothing more than a bloodthirsty monster hiding behind a gorgeous face.

_And yet you are letting him train you._

Alannah growled at herself, willing her mind to be silent until she had the patience to sort things out. Her stomach grumbled hungrily, threatening mutiny if she didn't eat soon. Thankful for the break in her thoughts, she dried herself and headed into her bedroom. She found her capsule case resting on the bed and figured that one of her brothers must have found it in Kami's Lookout. She quickly dressed herself in a pair of loose fitting workout shorts and a black shirt with the white Capsule Corp. logo on one of the sleeves. After bandaging her arm with proper medical supplies, she hurried down the hall, nearly tripping down the stairs as she made her way to the kitchen. Years of living with three Saiyan males had taught her to eat when she could, and she couldn't help but fear that the delicious food was gone. Much to her surprise, she found the kitchen empty and the breakfast array nearly untouched.

After filling her plate and sitting down in one of the wooden chairs, Alannah felt her Saiyan genes kick in. She ate hastily, growing steadily disgusted with her lack of table manners, but then again, there was no one to impress.

She was about to get up and help herself to thirds when she heard people yelling and screaming down the hall.

"What are they thinking?"

"They're crazy! Cell will kill them all!"

An ear-splitting screech echoed throughout the kitchen as Alannah pushed her chair back. Rushing down the hall towards the living room, she nearly collided with her father who stood leaning against the doorway, his stern glare focusing somewhere across the room. She followed his eyes to where her brothers, mother, and grandparents stood huddled around the large screen of the television.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly. When no one answered, she made her way towards the group and peered over Mark's shoulder.

The images on the screen were somewhat unfocused. Whoever was holding the camera must have been in a plane because they were zooming down onto Cell's arena and the small black figure that stood motionless in the middle. Hundreds of men stood encircling the ring, and the sounds of angry jets and roaring tanks filled the background with static-like noise. Alannah brought a hand to her mouth, her eyes widening as the reporter in front of the camera spoke.

"To those listening on radio, I only wished you could see this amazing display of selflessness and courage as the entire Royal Military bands together to stop this global threat."

Half of his body was hanging out of the plane, his green tie fluttering in front of the camera and partially blocking its view of the men below. His voice was unfaltering and unafraid. He really had no clue.

"They can't be serious," Alannah whispered. Of course, it was a rhetorical question. She had witnessed countless people risk their lives against the androids with much less than what the royal army had, and they all died in vain.

"Those guys are in big trouble," Bulma replied. "They should know better by now."

They all watched in anticipation as the small, darkened figure flew from the middle of the ring and landed on a nearby cliff. Almost immediately, the sound of gun fire rang out over the countryside, and from their spot in front of the television, the Briefs could see the strings of black smoke as bombs flew through the air. It all collided with Cell in a series of massive explosions, erupting the ground around him into plumes of dirt and fire.

"The military has unleashed a full scale attack!" the reporter yelled over the roar of machine guns and exploding bombs.

"They need to get out of there!" Trunks yelled in response, his fists clenched with whitened knuckles. "They're all going to be killed!"

It wasn't long before the rock cliff collapsed, sending dust and shards of rock billowing towards the military tanks and foot soldiers. The attack seemed to last hours, but eventually, the firing stopped. The only sounds were those of distant fighter jets as they circled around the fallen cliff, and beneath that, there was only eerie silence. With the wind picking up, it wasn't long before the smoke cleared, revealing the unscathed android.

"I-I can't believe it, ladies and gentlemen!" the reporter cried. "It seems Cell has survived the attack! The troops are retreating, and now Cell seems to be raising his hand…"

_Don't do it, Cell, _Alannah urged in her mind. The camera captured military jets as they retreated and soldiers running on the ground behind their tanks, but it never captured Cell's attack. It was much too quick and much too devastating. All the men could do was scream as a brilliant flash of golden light and burning flames consumed them. The camera was completely obliterated, along with the reporter and cameraman, and their sickening screams filled the room. The blackened television screen flickered before producing a multicolored test screen.

Everyone stood in horrified silence for what seemed like eternity.

"He really means business," Mark said with a nervous laugh. "Maybe we should do another day in the Time Chamber, 'Geta. How many more days until the tournament?"

"Five," 'Geta replied, "and yeah, the Time Chamber sounds like a good idea."

"I think Dad is already ahead of you," Trunks said, noticing that their father had disappeared from the doorway. His energy felt distant and he was moving quickly in the direction of Kami's Lookout.

"Looks like we have catching up to do! C'mon, 'Geta!"

'Geta and Mark bounded out of the living room, leaving Alannah and Trunks alone. Bulma had already left to finish her repairs on Android 16, and their grandparents were long gone. They couldn't stand to watch Cell kill hundreds of innocent men.

Alannah brought her thumb and index finger to the bridge of her nose and squeezed tightly, trying to stop the tears that were beginning to sting her eyes. She only knew Cell for five days. Just five, and she had not only kissed him, but was also developing some sort of twisted and unfounded affection for him.

However, whatever this affection was, it was not strong enough to quell the fierce anger she felt in the pit of her stomach. They were all gone. They had died horrible deaths, their screams bringing a flood of gruesome memories to the forefront of her mind. She had lived with such horrors ever since she was born, but she always tried to forget. Now, with the image of the royal military in her head, she was forced to remember the stench of charred bodies as they lay in the smoldering ruins of collapsed buildings, the coloring of week-old blood against the asphalt, and the lifeless eyes of the androids as they murdered people she knew. They were all things she had desperately tried to forget, but it was impossible.

She let her tears flow freely then, unwilling and unable to suppress her emotions. Burying her head in her hands, she sobbed uncontrollably and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a warm hand press against one of her shoulders. She looked bleary-eyed at Trunks, who simply took her into his arms and held her tightly.

"I'm not angry with you," he said softly. "I was at first, but I realize now that you can make your own decisions. However crazy and stupid they may be, and no matter how much I may disagree with you, you are my sister, and I will always love you."

Alannah wrapped her arms around him tightly and cried into his shoulder. He held her, rubbing her back gently until her muffled sobs became nothing more than faint whimpers. She pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes, a look of anger and hate burning behind their depths.

"I want to kill those androids, Trunks. I want them to pay for what they've done to us — what they've done to me."

"We'll get them," Trunks responded, his confidence sending a wave of relief rushing through her. "As for now, we have other things to focus on. I don't want you to back out of your training with Cell."

Alannah stared at him, dumbfounded, but he merely smiled.

"You're too stubborn to be manipulated, Alannah. 'Geta pointed that out to me. He also made me realize that opportunities are presented to us for a reason, so you should continue to take this one while you have it. You've grown incredibly strong since arriving in the past, and I don't mean just physically. I mean mentally as well. I understand now that you can take care of yourself. I trust you."

He gave her one last hug before heading out the door to join her father and brothers.

She now stood alone in the deafening silence.

Part of her wished she could jump into her time machine and choose to train in the Time Chamber. It would have made things so much easier and less complicated, but she couldn't hide from who she was: a trouble magnet.

She made her way slowly back to her room, thankful that her grisly memories had faded once again to the back of her mind. Instead of feeling comfort and relief, Trunks' words only brought her to feel guilt and shame. She wondered how Trunks would react if he knew that she had kissed the same creature that held Androids 17 and 18 within its being. It was enough to leave her feeling dirty and evil, a traitor to her own cause.

Would he still trust her? Would any of them?

Sighing heavily, she collapsed onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She was going to have to face him again. Whether in a few hours or at the tournament, she was going to have to stare into those alluring, magenta eyes. She pictured his face and how he had looked right before she first felt his warm lips against hers. She had never seen him so conflicted, so uncertain. He carried himself in such a way that made you think he was incapable of feeling at all, but there he had stood, battling with himself right in front of her with so many emotions flashing across his eyes, she couldn't keep up.

The thought of kissing him caused a rush of heat and desire to flush through Alannah's body and she groaned in protest, turning so that her face was now buried in the sheets.

_What am I going to do with myself?_

_***_

She decided that it was best to take some time for herself. She spent two days after the infamous "Military Massacre" to relax and train on her own free will. Since her father and brothers would be gone, she decided to utilize the gravity room, setting the gravity level at 150 Gs. It was more than she was used to, but the strain and pull of her muscles was always strangely relaxing to her. The gravity room in her time had eventually been destroyed and her mother didn't have the equipment to build a new one, so she was grateful to have it at her disposal now. Using exercise as a way of releasing tension and building confidence, she had always insisted on training alone, much like her father had. The strongest battles fought were the ones fought against yourself, at least in her mind, and she took this idea to heart, pushing herself a little further when she felt exhaustion setting in.

It was the evening of her second day of "rest", and Alannah hadn't ventured away from the house once. The sun was setting, causing strange shadows to play across the red-tinted walls of the gravity room as she forced a hundred more push-ups out of her sweat-drenched body. When she was satisfied, she turned off the machine and the red lights faded. With great pains, she hobbled down the platform and made her way towards her room, her muscles screaming angrily at her for having gone over her limit.

As the day progressed, she had grown increasingly tense and over-exerted herself in an attempt to alleviate her stress. She was not ready to see Cell, but knew that she was going to have to one way or the other. Just the mere thought of him sent desire shooting through her body, which in turn caused conflicting bouts of guilt. It was a giant rollercoaster ride and she was getting tired of it. She came to the past to kill the bastard, not fall for him.

Angrily, she stomped her way through the house towards her bedroom.

She showered, hoping it would relax her, but it didn't.

She ate, hoping it would distract her, but it didn't.

All she could do now was lie in her bed and hope for sleep to take her quickly.

It didn't.

When she did fall asleep, however, she found herself lost in a vivid dream, one that she had had many times before. She was running through an endless void of nothing, white surrounding her every which way she turned. She was frantic. Her heart was racing and her lungs couldn't keep up with her, but she continued to run. Eventually, she found her surroundings narrowing to a tunnel, its edges outlined with a pale blue light. She never looked back and never once thought of turning around. She was running towards someone, her frantic heart fighting for something it didn't recognize. She could see their figure in the distance, growing closer with each step. She was almost there.

Just then, an icy wind brushed past her, chilling her and freezing her in place. The figure began to walk away, and Alannah's heart screamed for them to come to her, but they didn't. They never did.

The chilling breeze teased her black hair, causing her to shiver beneath the sheets. Opening her eyes slowly, she realized that the icy wind wasn't just in her dream this time; it was reality. She turned her head lazily to the side and found that her door to the balcony was ajar, the nightly winds ruffling the curtains and nipping at her cheeks. Grumbling with the effort of getting up, she closed the door and suddenly felt something familiar pinch her keen senses.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end almost immediately. She didn't need to look behind her to know who was standing in the darkened corner.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered dangerously, her eyes gazing into the frosted window.

Cell stepped forward, the sound breaking through the silence.

"I'm being a gentlemen and making sure you're still alive," he stated, his voice low and deep. It sent shivers through Alannah's spine.

"You shouldn't be here."

Cell smirked, taking a few steps forward. "And why is that?"

Alannah turned and glared up at him. His features were partially shadowed; the only light grazing his face was a small stream of silver moonlight that peeked in through the curtains. His magenta eyes shone like crystal much like they had a few nights ago. Feeling the heat of the memory rushing through her, Alannah spun around so that her back was to him. Cell growled in frustration.

"While I'm training you, I expect you to show up at least once every day," he explained. "A simple kiss does not give you the right to be a weakling."

Her spine bristled at his statement and she spun around to face him, uncaring of the flush in her cheeks.

"What gives you the right to come into _my _home and give me orders like that?" she whispered harshly. "A _simple kiss _does not mean I have to answer to you."

Cell glared down at her with his arms crossed over his chest. She was infuriating, but brave, and not to mention beautiful. His eyes traveled down her body, which was clad in pair of purple shorts and a white tank top. Her messy hair fell down over her shoulders, curling at the bottom from the way it had dried while she slept. For the two days he hadn't seen her, he found himself growing increasingly angry. Not because she was skipping their training, but rather because he had wanted to see her. Of course, he would never admit that to her or to himself. His actions may go against his programming, but he refused to verbally acknowledge his affections.

Uncrossing his arms, he stepped towards her, but she simply lowered her head and took a step back. Tilting his head to the side, Cell gently placed two fingers under her chin, encouraging her to look at him. When she complied, he was surprised to find her eyes shiny with unshed tears.

"Why did you kill them, Cell?"

"Excuse me?"

"The Royal Military, why did you kill them?"

Cell looked unblinkingly into her eyes. She wanted an explanation, an honest answer, but the answer she craved was anything but the truth.

"I am who I am, Alannah."

His words were simple, but they spoke volumes.

"That's not good enough," she whispered in response. Her voice was soft, weighed down with sadness, and was not meant for him to hear, but he heard her nonetheless.

"I do not need to explain myself to you," he said in a low growl. "You know who I am and what I was created to do, what I _will _do. You knew who I was when you agreed to the training and you knew who I was a few nights ago."

Alannah sat down at the foot of her bed, her head bowed in defeat. Cell watched her as she struggled inside and felt a pang within his chest. He couldn't even figure out the real reason as to why he was in her room right then: to yell at her? Scold her? Kill her? Kiss her? Make sure she was safe? He hated this woman with every fiber of his being, but he couldn't escape her. She was bringing out his flaws, the things he _shouldn't _have, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape. He was trapped. Hopelessly trapped. Even if he won the Cell Games, he was already defeated. He needed to make her understand.

"Woman, look at me."

Alannah shook her head. She wanted him to leave, but part of her knew he wouldn't comply. He moved in front of her and bent over at his waist, placing a hand on either side of her body and urging her to look at him. She slowly lifted her head and stared into his eyes. Their faces were dangerously close, and Cell could feel her hot breath cascading over his lips.

"I will never be who you want me to be."

His voice was soft, but stern, his need for her to understand painfully obvious. His eyes were so clear that Alannah could have sworn that she could see into his depths. Before her was the feared tyrant, the android bent on universal destruction, but all she could see within him at that moment was honesty. He had never tried to manipulate her or trick her, and he was not trying to change her or gain her loyalty. The affections he felt for her were the same she felt for him: confusing and strange, but raw and real nonetheless. He was too proud to say it, but she could see it in his eyes.

For reasons she couldn't understand, she wrapped his arms around his neck and captured his lips hungrily, pulling him into her. Her advance caught Cell off guard, causing him to almost fall on top of her. Steadying himself, he lifted her up by the waist and pressed her firmly against him. She moaned into his mouth as she kissed him deeper, unashamed and unafraid of whoever heard her. Her desire to be closer to him was threatening to overtake her, her senses tingling with new awareness as she felt her back pressing against the soft mattress.

_She was who she was. He was not trying to change her, and she realized it was fruitless for her to try and do the same._

Cell slowly descended on top of her, never once breaking their kiss. He pressed himself against her gently as so not to crush her, and the bed sank and creaked under their combined weight — a piercing sound in the still night.

The thought that they were some high school couple sneaking behind their parents' backs entered Alannah's mind, making her smirk against his mouth. Cell pulled away and stared down at her suspiciously, but she only smiled.

Unable to contain his own smirk, he shook his head and lifted himself up. Alannah lay on her back, her hair fanned out across the pillow beneath her head as she stared up at him. He stood motionless at the foot of the bed with his face shadowed and his expression unseeable. She heard a light chuckle escape his lips and he placed one hand on his hip.

"Get some sleep," he ordered softly, but his accented voice was stern and low. "I'm expecting you to be at my arena sometime before the afternoon."

With that, he opened the balcony door and flew off into the night, leaving Alannah exhausted and emotionally drained. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands, but her smile never once left her flushed face.

With all of her doubts and uncertainty, one thing was for certain.

She was definitely a trouble magnet.


	12. Promises

A longer delay than usual for this chapter. My apologies.

Just to warn you, I was sick when I wrote this chapter, so it might not be up to par. I may have to revise it, but I hope you enjoy it anyways!

***

The following afternoon's training was beyond brutal. Alannah lay crumpled in the dirt, the scorching heat of the sun burning her sweat-soaked body. It was taking nearly all of her strength just to stand up and prepare herself for another vicious blow from Cell.

He had increased his strength to the point that her attacks did absolutely nothing. They probably felt like mere pinpricks to him, and every time she landed a punch or a kick, she soon found herself doubling over in pain or buried beneath heavy rocks. She was absolutely furious, not only at herself but at Cell as well. It was obvious that he was taking his frustrations out on her, and needless to say, she did not appreciate it. Her training was being compromised because the infernal android was having his little version of a temper tantrum.

As she struggled to stand, Alannah noticed that he was hovering in the air above her with his arms crossed, waiting. His eyes were shining with irritation and as he glared down at her, making her feel pathetic and weak. He had barely spoken to her today, but all she had to do was look into his eyes to know that he wasn't angry with her.

He was angry with himself and that he had allowed her to see that a small part of him cared during their moments of intimacy.

On unsteady legs, Alannah positioned herself into a fighting stance, her angry eyes never leaving his figure. She had worked hard to get to where she was, with Cell increasing his power in intervals with each training session, but now, his excessive amount of pride was stopping her from excelling any further. She didn't care how frustrated he was: he was wasting her time. All of his talk about the importance of controlling emotions and he couldn't even seem to do it himself.

With all the speed she could muster, Alannah flew towards him and eventually phased out of sight. She appeared behind him less than a second later, her leg swiveled behind her and ready to make contact. She brought it down swiftly towards Cell's neck, only to have him catch it with his hand. With a sharp tug, he pulled her forward so that her shin was extended past his face and brought his fist down against the bone.

She heard the sickening snap before she felt the pain, which seared from her leg and up through her spine. She let out an agonizing scream before falling limp against Cell. Her clouded mind didn't even process the fact that she was falling towards the ground until her back slammed against the rocks. Willing herself to focus, Alannah propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at her broken leg. Her shin had almost been snapped in half and now bent awkwardly to the right at a forty-five degree angle. Growling to herself, she tried desperately to gather enough energy to fly, but it was useless.

She lowered herself onto her back and closed her eyes in an attempt to quell her tears. Out of all of her countless battles with Androids 17 and 18, she had never allowed herself to be put in a position as bad as the one she was currently in. She had always known when to quit, when to retreat until she could come back stronger, but now, she lay bloody and beaten and at the mercy of the enemy. She wondered if he would kill her, if he was _that _desperate to rid himself of the trouble she was causing him.

The darkness beneath her lids grew even darker, and she carefully opened her eyes. Cell stood next to her, the sun silhouetting his figure and casting his shadow over her body. Slowly, he knelt beside her.

"Get away from me!" Alannah shouted angrily. She tried to drag herself away from him, but he put his hand on her shoulder and held her in place. His magenta eyes were expressionless as they traveled down the length of her body, lingering over every bruise and cut. He stared at her broken leg for sometime, as if assessing how much damage he had actually done. He traced the broken bone with his thumb, his smooth skin pressing gently against hers. Alannah winced in pain.

"Knock it off!" she cried. "If you're going to kill me, then I suggest you do it now before I kick your ass!"

She heard a light chuckle escape from Cell's lips as he stood up. Flexing his wings, he took one last look at her before shooting into the sky and leaving a trail of gold aura in front of her face. She shouted angrily at his retreating figure, calling him every nasty, foul name she could think of before her exhaustion overtook her. She hated him. She hated him for being alive, for making her care about him, for beating her to a bloody pulp, for leaving her to suffer the way she was. The late afternoon sun was burning her exposed skin and draining her of energy and water as the sweat dripped down the sides of her face and mixed with her tears. Closing her eyes, she felt her anger and frustration begin to dissipate as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

***

Intense pain in her broken leg forced Alannah out of her comatose reverie. Her eyes fluttered open, but were glossed over with bewilderment and discomfort as she stared up at Cell's profile. His eyes were focused on her leg and Alannah struggled to sit up to see what he was doing. However, he gently pushed her down with a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay still, Alannah," he said. "This is going to hurt."

She gaped up at him, her dazed mind trying to comprehend what he was going to do. He didn't seem frustrated any more — he seemed concerned.

Carefully, he placed his left hand above the break in her shin and rested his right against the area where her leg bent awkwardly. Alannah's body jerked at his touch and she whimpered helplessly. Cell looked at her and held her gaze for a short moment before focusing his eyes back on her leg. Then, he slowly began to push her shinbone back into place. She screamed in agony, her body writhing on the ground as the pain shot through her body and singed her nerves. Cell's grip on her tightened, forcing her broken leg to remain still as he carefully finished his task. Once Alannah was still, he loosened his grip and shifted himself so that he was closer to her face. She was breathing incredibly hard, her delicate features contorted into a grimace. Her entire body was perspiring from the pain and heat of the sun.

"Alannah, open your mouth," Cell urged, picking up the small green bean he had placed near her after he returned.

Alannah shook her head and closed her eyes. "Get away from me," she whispered weakly. "I don't want your help."

"Foolish girl, open your mouth or I will break your other leg."

She glared up at him, wondering if he would actually follow through with such a threat. His eyes held irritation, but she could see a small trace of concern that he could not hide. It was then she noticed the Senzu bean in his hand, and her mouth gaped open in surprise. Taking the opportunity, Cell put the tiny green bean into her mouth and ordered her to eat it. Alannah reluctantly complied. She wanted to be up on her feet again, but she was far too stubborn and proud to give in easily.

The moment she swallowed the remnants, her body grew warm. Once she had the strength, she sat up and watched the bruising around her healing leg disappear. It was then that she became fully aware of how close she was to Cell. He was still kneeling beside her, watching her intently, his hand pressing gently against her leg. Growling angrily, she swatted his hand away and stood up.

"Is that anyway to thank me?" Cell asked in amusement as he stood up with her.

"You want me to _thank _you?" Alannah asked in disbelief. "Why would I do a stupid thing like that? If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been in that mess in the first place! I mean, you raised your power to a point where you _knew _I wouldn't stand a chance against you, and for what? Did you get all of your frustrations out? Or maybe you were just trying to push me away. If that's the case, well then congratulations, Cell, you've succeeded."

She turned her back to him and began walking away. She wasn't ready to go back to Capsule Corp. She needed to be alone and to clear her head.

"Alannah, stop. My intentions were never to push you away."

The sound of his voice made her stop, but she refused to look back.

"As much as it frustrates me," he explained, "I've accepted whatever bond you and I have. My actions were to prepare you. Surely you have heard that Saiyans become stronger after recovering from severe injuries. The tournament is in three days and you are nowhere near ready to face me in an actual battle."

Alannah rubbed her eyes furiously in frustration. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right, not only about the Saiyans, but about her not being prepared. He had thrown her around like a rag doll and despite all of her efforts to return the favor he didn't have a scratch on him. She could hear him walking towards her and soon felt his hands on her shoulders.

"I don't understand," she said quietly. "Why do you care if I'm ready or not? If you win, you're just going to destroy the planet anyways — you're just going to kill me."

"That's just it, my dear," Cell replied. "I'm not sure if I _want _kill you. If I did, I would have done it already." He paused and lowered himself so that his lips were next to her ear. "Alannah, I would give anything to have you come with me after the tournament, but I know you won't. I know you'll try to stop me."

Alannah felt her heart twisting at his words. She turned to face him and pressed her head gently against his chest in hopes of feeling some sort of comfort. They stood in silence for a moment, and she let her mind wander as she listened to the faint sounds of the android's heartbeat.

_If it came down to Cell and me in the tournament, __would I have the strength to kill him? Would I even have the heart?_

As much as she told herself that she hated him, she knew it wasn't true. Her feelings for him were stronger than ever, and the possibility of her having a clouded judgment because of that flooded her with fears of betrayal and guilt.

"I don't want to talk about the tournament or your purpose anymore Cell, but will you promise me something?" she asked softly, her eyes focused on the ground.

"It depends."

"Promise me you won't be angry with me if I try to stop you."

Cell looked down at the crown of her head with a small frown. He was so weak when it came to her, and although this weakness frustrated him, he couldn't ignore the small part of him that reveled in the way she made him feel. As he let one hand comb through her silky black hair, he used the other to lift her chin so that she was looking up at him. He held her blue eyes with his own magenta hues before letting her sink back into his embrace.

"I promise."


	13. Family

There's a bit of a plot twist in this chapter that some people may not understand. I'm planning on writing a sequel to this story and I'm hoping to write stories for characters like 'Geta and Mark. So, the action that happens with 'Geta in this chapter will connect to a story I'm currently thinking up.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.

If you have any suggestions or comments, just R&R! :]

***

_"I promise."_

His accented voice was so gentle and conflicted, and Alannah found herself wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly to her. Cell was much taller than her, with her head resting on the lower part of his chest's black armor. He fingered a small lock of her dusty hair in his hand, examining it carefully as it glinted in the sunlight. The woman could be covered from head to foot in dirt and dried blood, but he would still find her beautiful and fascinating. He desired her in ways he could not fully comprehend, ways that left him confused and angry.

He had been ruthless with her earlier, cruel and uncaring. He told her it was to make her stronger, but that was only half the truth. He had also done it for himself. He needed to remind them both of who he was and that he still held the upper hand.

He had felt his pride swell every time he struck her down. He relished the idea of being able to kill her and end the tormenting hold she had on him. His face didn't show it, but he was overjoyed to see her in such miserable and frustrating situations. However, when he broke her leg, it hadn't felt as satisfying as he thought it would, and when he examined her shattered body, he couldn't ignore the unfamiliar sensations of regret and shame — two things he knew of but had never experienced before then.

So he saved her. He made her stronger. He gave in and let her tighten her hold on him. As much as he told himself otherwise, he didn't want to push her away. The truth was that he _wanted _her with him, almost to the point of needing her, and that infuriated him.

Growling at his realizations, Cell abruptly stepped back and removed Alannah's arms from around his slender torso. She stared up at him, silently protesting his actions, and before he knew it, her lips were on his. Cell's body tensed immediately in surprise, but he reluctantly gave in and returned her advance. She was kissing him with so much need, her mouth moving hungrily against his, and he couldn't help but smirk as he reciprocated and lowered his hands to her hips.

Whether she admitted it or not, they _did_ have much in common. They both were strong, prideful, and argumentative, but most importantly, they both got what they wanted.

She broke the kiss and searched his eyes. She could always tell his feelings through those amazingly colored orbs. He stared back at her with interest, a small smirk echoing over his lips, but she could see his uncertainty and defiance. It was as if he were telling her that any attempts to change him were useless, but that idea had died a long time ago. She hadn't kissed him in a silent attempt to accomplish the impossible. She kissed him simply because she loved him.

_Someone help me,_ she thought, smiling inwardly. _I actually love him_.

Unwrapping her hands from around her neck, she put her feet back on the ground. Cell stared at her, his head tilted slightly to the side as if he were trying to understand something about her. The ends of his lips twitched as his smirk grew. She could only imagine what he was thinking.

"I'm not trying to change you," she said after a moment, her eyes brimming with honesty. "You never once tried to change me or manipulate me, and I know better than to try with you."

Cell crossed his arms while giving her a triumphant look. "Good," he replied curtly. "Now, on to other matters. We have more training to do."

He turned his back to her and moved himself so that he stood a few yards away. He was surprised that she hadn't said anything yet. She usually had some witty and snide commentary to add to his insensitive words. With his arms still crossed, he turned his head to the side to look at her.

Alannah's body was tense. Her eyes were closed tightly as she tried to focus her mind on the feelings of panic and anger that had washed over her. The sudden wave of emotions was frightening, but the experience was all too familiar. The feelings were chaotic, loud, and ringing in her ears. The intense fear that ran through her was unlike anything she had ever felt, but it wasn't her fear.

Something was wrong with 'Geta.

Cell was now standing in front of her, his eyes shining with irritation and concern. He looked down at her, expecting an answer.

"I have to go," she said with determination. She motioned to leave, but Cell stopped her by placing his hands on her shoulders. She glared up at him.

"What is wrong?" he asked, his voice monotone.

"Something is wrong with one of my brothers," she responded hurriedly. "I don't have time to explain. Please, Cell, I've ever felt him this upset."

The android looked at her with confusion before lifting his head and staring into the direction of Capsule Corp. In the distance, a single power level was rising. It was foreign to Cell, but he could sense a trace of Alannah within it.

Slowly, he removed his hands from her shoulders and she immediately shot off into the sky, leaving him to stare longingly at her retreating figure until she disappeared completely.

***

The scenery below was quickly changing from quiet and rural to desolate and urban. Everyone who lived remotely near the location of the Cell Games had evacuated, leaving the city to resemble a ghost town. Alannah increased her speed drastically as she grew close to the domed building and her hair was whipping painfully across her face. 'Geta's feelings of fear and rage were still fresh in her heart, which worried her, but at least his power level had gone down. Her mind was racing, trying to find an answer as to what could possibly be wrong as she landed.

It was then she noticed one of their time machines sitting near the rear of the building. Scared and curious, she hurried towards the front door. She could sense 'Geta on the second floor, and as she made her way towards the stairs, she caught sight of Mark and Trunks out of the corner of her eye. They were sitting in the living room; Trunks' face was in his hands and Mark was holding on to something that Alannah couldn't quite make out. Slowly, she made her way past the stairs and entered the room.

They both looked up at her, their faces grave and saddened.

She swallowed nervously. "What happened?" she asked. "Is 'Geta okay?"

Mark's eyes were brimming with tears as he gripped the object in his hands tighter. Trunks lowered his head and stared at the ground, his eyes hard and focused on something he couldn't see. Alannah's eyes traveled to Mark's hands and she soon realized that he was holding the dimension telephone — the gadget that Trunks had used to contact them from the past. Her mind shot to their home in the future and the trouble that was still very much alive there. Her heart sank.

"What happened?" she repeated, only this time her voice was more demanding of an immediate answer.

Mark's blue eyes stared helplessly up at her before returning to his hands.

"They got Mom," he whispered.

She didn't need to ask who "they" were. Alannah's heart sank even more. Trunks quickly got up from his seat and started pacing the room. He was usually mild-mannered, but when something made him angry, he had no problem showing it. His fists pounded into the wall, causing both of his siblings to jump.

"How do you know?" Alannah questioned, focusing her eyes back to Mark.

Mark absent-mindedly flipped the telephone open and closed again, its shiny black surface catching the light and shining magnificently.

"I was working on something in the lab when I felt 'Geta's power level spike," he said hoarsely. "I ran upstairs and found him in my room, holding this." He dejectedly lifted the hand that held the telephone. "He was completely frantic and said he didn't have time to explain, but he said Mom was dead and that other people were in trouble. He told me that he needed me to get the time machine ready for him to go back home. 'Geta is _rarely _panicky, so I didn't question him."

Alannah nodded slowly, his words about their mother tearing at her chest in attempt to strangle her heart.

'Geta was always the calm one, always the one with the plan. Even if they were in trouble, he managed to contain whatever fear he had and get them through it. To feel what she did a while ago was unnerving because she rarely experienced it coming from her brother.

"When I came back inside, he was in his room, which is where he is now. Whatever 'Geta heard, it came from the dimension telephone. There's an inside storage compartment inside," Mark explained. "It holds all of the conversations in a memory card in case information needs to be retrieved."

Taking the phone, he flipped it open and pressed a small black button on the side and waited. Static erupted from the speaker and voices could soon be heard.

***

"_Hello?"_

"'_Geta, is that you?" _

_Bulma's voice was shaky and weak. _

"_Mom? What's going on? Are you okay?"_

"'_Geta, I don't have much time. I escaped for a little, but they're following me."_

"_What are you talking about? What's wrong?"_

"_The androids," Bulma coughed, and the unmistakable sound of blood hitting the ground could be heard. "They c-c-came to the house, looking for y-you." _

_She coughed again and the sound of glass breaking could be heard in the distance. The androids were close._

"_Mom—"_

"_I've lost a lot of blood, 'Geta, and they're coming. I-I don't think I have a lot of time, but they have —"_

"_You're going to be okay," 'Geta's voice reassured her with a shaky breath. "I'm going to come back and I'll be with you."_

"'_Vegeta!" Bulma said harshly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You need to listen to m-me. They have Akira. They c-came looking for you, but y-you weren't here. I tried to explain, b-but the blonde android —"_

_Bulma's voice was cut short by the sharp sound of someone pounding against the metal door of the basement lab, which was followed by a loud explosion. There was a sharp gasp, followed by Bulma's injured moans._

"_I love you, 'Geta," she said sadly, as if she could feel herself slipping away. "I'm sorry I'm not stronger. Tell y-your brothers and sister that I l-love them t-too."_

_Bulma quieted, and for a moment, all that could be heard was 'Geta's ragged and angry breaths. Then, footsteps and cruel, lifeless laughter._

"_Well, isn't that a shame," came Android 17's distant voice. "She died before we could even say goodbye — somewhat rude if you ask me." _

_There was a sickening thud, the sound something striking flesh, and the phone could be heard scrapping against the lab floor._

"_What's this? Hey, 18, looks like she was making a phone call."_

_17's voice was closer now, his breath sharp and clear._

"_Hello?" he said, amused. "Anyone there?"_

"_You fucking bastard," 'Geta seethed. "What have you done?"_

"_Ah! Someone's there. Sounds like Vegeta. Well, Vegeta, to answer your question, we killed your pathetic excuse for a mother, and —"_

"_Shut up!"_

"_Now, now, Vegeta," came 18's smooth voice. "There's no reason to shout. We can hear you just fine, so can your pretty little girlfriend, here." The android's voice was thick with jealousy and muffled screams could be heard in the background._

"_If you harm her in anyway, I swear I'll tear you both apart," 'Geta said, his voice dangerously calm. _

"_You and I, we could have been good together," 18 mused, "but I guess there's no use dwelling on the past. Wherever you are, you won't be back in time to save her. I've been far too nice with you."_

_The muffled screams grew more frantic. A sharp slap echoed throughout the lab and all was quiet._

"_You stupid b—"_

"_Ah, ah, ah," 17 said. "I doubt your mother would appreciate your language."_

_Both androids laughed._

"_See you around, Vegeta," 18 murmured softly._

_***_

The static of the phone soon returned before it quieted. The silence in the living room was heavy and the tension was thick. One of Alannah's hands was covering her mouth. Her eyes were closed; they were over-flowing with tears and had been the moment she heard her mother's dying voice. She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't believe it.

Her mother was dead, and now the androids had Akira.

Alannah didn't know Akira very well. She lived underground with her surviving family members while the Briefs resided in the run down Capsule Corp. building. However, it was obvious that 'Geta cared for her.

No wonder he felt such panic. No wonder his power level exploded in anger. Her mind wandered back to the jealous sound within 18's voice. For the past year, the android had been paying a large amount of attention to 'Geta. She would always single him out in battle and try to toy with his mind, but he had never fallen for any of it. Even though she could easily kill him, but she never did. It was like she had some sort of infatuation with him, one that was now painfully clear.

Alannah rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. She felt numb and angry. She was willing her mind to focus and concentrate, but her sadness was threatening to take over. Slowly, she tried to do what Cell had taught her and silently attempted to push her feelings into the pit of her stomach, but the sound of someone pounding down the stairs distracted her.

'Geta hurried into the room, his face angry and scowling. His hair was shorter and freshly cut. His eyes shifted to each of his siblings before landing on Mark.

"Is the time machine ready?"

Mark nodded. "It's in the back."

"'Geta, I don't think you should go," Trunks said quietly. "At least not alone. It's too dangerous. What if they are just trying to lure you into a trap? And then there's the tournament…"

"I don't care about the tournament, Trunks," 'Geta replied, glaring at his older brother. "The only think I care about now is killing the androids of our own time. If I'm not strong enough to defeat those bastards after training for two years straight in that Time Chamber, then I'll never be strong enough. They have Akira."

His last three words were nothing more than whispers, but Alannah could hear them perfectly. She could feel his distress and anger in addition to her own. Reaching out, she placed a hand on her twin's shoulder.

"I'll walk you out," she said. She understood his need to do something, to strike out and fight. 'Geta gave his brothers a quick nod of recognition, his own silent goodbye, before turning on his heels and hurrying towards the front door. Mark and Trunks watched silently as Alannah followed. Whatever their brother was feeling, they knew she would be able to handle it the best.

When they reached the time machine, 'Geta turned to Alannah and hugged her tightly. She returned the embrace, burying her face in his neck as she tried to stifle her tears.

"What is it with you and me," he said quietly, letting his arms hang loosely at his sides. Alannah lifted her head to look at him, but he only smiled sadly and shook his head.

"It must be in our blood. I mean, why else would both you and I, and even Mom, be able to attract the affections of the enemy?" he asked. He turned his back and opened the top of the machine before him.

Alannah blushed when she realized that he had been referring to her and Cell. She would have been a fool to think that her brother hadn't noticed her feelings for him by now. She felt somewhat guilty.

"Our father wasn't the enemy," she replied, steering clear of her and Cell's strange relationship.

"He used to be before he met Mom," 'Geta declared.

He sighed and rested his head against the cool metal of the time machine. Alannah put a hand on his shoulder. He was extremely tense. She knew he had no plan, and for the first time in a long time, she could feel his fear.

"I'm too late for Mom, but I can still save Akira," he explained, his voice struggling to remain positive. "It's my fault that she's in trouble in the first place. I should have never let her near me, not with that infernal female machine on my heels. It was selfish."

Alannah tightened her grip on her brother's shoulder.

"None of this is your fault, 'Geta."

He said nothing, but she could feel his muscles relaxing a little. Jumping up effortlessly into the time machine, he stared down at her with softer eyes.

"Be careful," he said. "I don't plan on dying and so you better not be either. I'm expecting all three of you to be back home soon. As for the situation with Cell, I trust you."

With that, he closed the glass covering and brought the machine to life. Alannah watched as it lifted into the air. 'Geta looked down at her, smiling sadly before he disappeared, and she felt her heart shatter. Hugging herself tightly, she closed her eyes and let the reality of everything hit her.

Her mother was dead.

Her better half was now gone.

She was in love with Cell, and whether or not he won his tournament, she would lose.

She let the tears flow freely as she struggled to remain strong. A part of her wanted to go to him, but feared that he would only scoff at her sadness and tears. He was an android, after all. Androids 17 and 18 were a part of him. Could she expect anything other than training and desire-filled kisses from him? Even if a small part of him did care for her, he wouldn't change for her. That was made painfully clear earlier. There was no future for them. How could there ever be?

Standing out on the grass in the approaching evening, Alannah looked up as the yellow dome of Capsule Corp. She slowly walked back inside and towards the living room where her two brothers remind silent and still, the shock of everything still evident. All thoughts of Cell were pushed aside.

Her family needed her.

And she needed them.


	14. Lack of Words

A little short. I just wanted to develop Alannah and Cell's relationship some more.

I apologize if the story is a little slow. I hope it's not, but yeah. Thanks for all those who have reviewed and who are keeping up with the story. :]

***

Alannah and Mark sat quietly in the dark living room with the soft glow of the television illuminating their faces. The local news stations were droning on about the approaching Cell Games, showing clips from earlier in the evening when more reporters had gone to the arena, hoping for an interview; the lucky ones merely got the cold shoulder, while the not so lucky got a fist in the face. Despite herself, Alannah found it to be relatively amusing. Other than the clips, neither she nor Mark were paying much attention to the information that the newscasters' were relaying — the voices were merely distractions, background noise that they hoped would sidetrack their grief.

They had decided it best not to tell anyone about Bulma's death in their timeline. It would only cause worry and distress, especially for their young mother. If anyone asked about 'Geta's absence, which Alannah knew they would, they would simply explain that things had gotten bad in the future and that 'Geta decided to travel back in order to protect everyone. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Do you think 'Geta will be all right?" Alannah asked quietly as her eyes focused on the television screen.

"He's powerful enough to defeat the androids. There isn't a doubt in my mind about that," Mark responded. "I'm not sure if he'll be all right emotionally though, especially if he isn't able to save Akira."

Alannah nodded slowly. She hated being a part from 'Geta, stuck in the past while he fought their battle in the future. She couldn't feel his energy anymore, which means she hadn't a clue as to what was going on with him. A part of her heart that was always active was now silent, and the distress that filled the void was slowly threatening to strangle her. Closing her eyes, she listened to the voices coming from the television. The rest of the house was quiet. Trunks, along with the rest of their family, had long gone to bed. That is, except their father. His whereabouts always seemed to be a mystery.

"I think I might head upstairs and try to sleep," Alannah said. She stood up and stretched her out her stiff back. "You should try to get some rest too."

Mark looked up at her with a small smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll see you in the morning."

She returned the smile and quietly made her way up the stairs towards her room. Despite the hallways' darkness, Alannah was able to find her way around without tripping over herself, and she winced as she slowly opened and closed the door; the squeaking seemed to echo throughout the entire house. Pressing her forehead against the door, she did her best to quell her grief and distress.

"I was wondering how much longer I would have to wait."

The sound of his voice made Alannah jump. Wheeling around, she found Cell sitting comfortably on the edge of her bed, his wings spread out so that their sides rested against the soft comforter.

"You should really warn me next time you plan on coming here," she whispered harshly. "My brothers or father could catch you."

"As if they could do anything to me," Cell snorted in reply. "Besides, I have my power completely suppressed. No one other than you knows I'm here."

Shaking her head, Alannah walked to her once-capsulated dresser and pulled out a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. She tried to ignore the fact that Cell was watching her, but it was nearly impossible.

"What was wrong with your brother?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"I don't remember asking if you wanted to."

Alannah glared at him as she gathered her sleepwear in her arms. He had a smug look on his face, happy to see that he had struck a nerve with her. His attitude was more than she could handle at the moment, and if it weren't for their location, she would have slapped his arrogant smirk right off his face. He continued to smile at her as she made her way silently into her bathroom and closed the door. Despite the fact that part of her wanted to confide in him, she didn't want to be mocked, or even worse, have him not care. No, his attitude just a few moments ago proved that speaking would only hurt her. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of an answer and hoped he would get the hint and leave.

Once she was changed and ready to sleep, she turned off the bathroom light and opened the door. It was dark in her room, but she could see that he was no longer sitting on her bed.

"Good," Alannah whispered to herself. "Maybe he actually left."

However, the moment she stepped out of the bathroom, she felt his warm hands on her bare shoulders.

"Why would I do that?" he asked softly. "You haven't answered my question."

Alannah turned so that she was now facing him, her eyes gazing upward into his angelic face. Through the shadows, she tried to study his features: his yellow-plated jaw, the dark purple streaks next to his eyes, and the expression behind his crystal orbs. Her mind was telling her to back away and that he wouldn't care, but her heart was screaming for release and comfort. Lowering her face to the floor, Alannah studied the darkness that was consuming her feet.

He was here again, in her room at night with his hands on her shoulders. She knew he cared, but wondered if he cared enough to empathize with her. Unable to ignore her heart or the tears that were welling up in her eyes, she let the words flow out of her mouth.

"My mother was killed today by the androids in my timeline. They kidnapped someone very close to my brother, and he took the time machine so that he could rescue her. My mother's dead and now 'Geta is gone."

She stared back up into his face with a look of defeat, silent tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Are you happy now?" she whispered breathlessly. "I told you. You can mock me all you want. I don't care anymore."

Turning away, she shrugged Cell's hands off of her shoulders and sat on the edge of her bed with her face in her hands. The android remained silent, his expression unreadable as he watched her cry. Her shoulders were shaking violently as she struggled to hold back her sobs. Despite all of her anger and sadness, she was still trying to remain strong in front of him, much like he had been doing since they first met. He hadn't been expecting the answer she gave him. It took him completely off guard, and now, faced with her raw and unconcealed emotion, he wasn't sure what to do.

"You have no idea what a horrible feeling it is," Alannah said angrily after a moment, wiping her cheeks with her palm. "You don't know what it's like to have someone you love torn away from you. My mother didn't deserve to die the way she did, and now I may never see my brother again."

The room grew uncomfortably silent. Alannah stared at the ground, which was now slightly brightened by the pale moonlight. She could feel him staring at her, and she hated it. She hated that he hadn't said anything yet. She preferred his verbal attacks to his silent scrutiny. If he wasn't going to say anything, then she wanted him to leave. Clenching her fists, she glared up at his figure. His face was still covered in shadow, but she could clearly see the glint in his eyes as he watched her.

"Why are you here?"

"Do you really need to ask that?" he replied quietly. He took a few steps forward, his feet squeaking softly against the soft carpet. "Obviously I'm here because some twisted part of me wants to be near you. It's not something I can easily explain, you know."

Alannah felt her body growing warm with his answer, and as he approached her, she couldn't help but notice how her heart quickened its pace. Bending down by his waist, Cell leveled his face with hers and let his hands rest on either side of her body. He smirked and slowly brought his lips to her ear.

"Is it just me, or does this position seem familiar?" he whispered, causing shivers to run through her spine as his hot breath traveled down her neck. Pulling back, he stared into her eyes intently, his smile fading as he spoke. "You know as well as I do that I'm too proud to comfort you with words, but at least I have the decency to admit that."

He let his lips press gently against hers, kissing her so softly that she almost didn't feel it. The kiss continued for a brief moment before he pulled away and stood up straight. Without another word, he slowly began making his way towards the balcony door.

"Wait," Alannah called out quietly. "You don't have to go."

Cell stopped and stared back at her curiously, the right corner of his mouth curving upward into a half smile.

"I have some things I need to take care of," he lied.

Alannah merely crossed her arms and cocked one of her eyebrows.

"Like what? Beating up some more reporters?"

Her last sentence came out as an amused laugh, and much to her delight, she heard Cell chuckle as well.

"They never seem to get the hint."

When he didn't motion to leave, Alannah stood up from her seat on the edge of the bed and walked up to him. She had to admit that it was nice having him here. He was distracting her from everything, which was the one thing she truly needed. At that moment, she didn't care who he was or what he was planning. All she cared about was having him with her.

Reaching up, she placed her hands on his smooth face and gently pulled him down so that their lips could touch. Her body melted against his when he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up. As they deepened their kiss, Alannah took the time to wrap her legs around his slim waist. Cell let a small, surprised groan escape his lips and he pulled back, breaking their kiss.

Alannah's chest was pressed up tightly against his, restricting her breathing and forcing her lungs to work over time. Cell was looking at her with a mixture of surprise and desire, and she couldn't help but smile when she caught his lips in another passionate kiss.

"Stay," she whispered against his mouth. "At least until I'm asleep."

Feeling her exhaustion setting in, she rested her head against his shoulder and buried her face into the crook of his neck. Instinctively, Cell tightened his grip around her and grunted softly when he felt her lips against his warm flesh. He smiled to himself, beginning to find the situation somewhat humorous. Trunks had been so upset when he had discovered their little training agreement, and he couldn't help but picture the boy's look of horror and disgust if he were to discover them now. How satisfying it would be.

Chucking to himself, Cell gently unwrapped Alannah's legs from around his waist and laid her on the bed. Her chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm, indicating that she was already asleep. Her face was soft — no scowl, no annoyed expression, no anger.

In one word, she was beautiful.

Taking the blanket that was at the foot of the bed, Cell draped it over her body and stood back to watch her. She was already asleep. He could leave, but part of him didn't want to. Watching her was somewhat peaceful, more so than meditating in the middle of his ring. He stood by the side of the bed, studying her figure and calm demeanor. This delicate, yet strong, creature was causing him so much trouble. He wondered if she knew.

He stood silently by the side of her bed until the sky began to fade from black to a deep navy, and he took the approaching dawn as his cue to leave.

Stepping out into the cold air, Cell closed the balcony door silently behind him and shot off into the sky. By the time he reached his arena, the sun was peaking out from the horizon. Cell planted himself in the middle of his ring. Arms crossed and head tilted towards the ground, he forced himself to forget Alannah and focus on his upcoming tournament.

_Just two more days._


	15. Come Tomorrow Morning

Gahd, another shorty. I don't do this on purpose, I swear. :P

This chapter might be up for revision before the next chapter, so if it sucks, don't fret!

Anyways, enjoy! :]

***

When Alannah awoke, she wasn't surprised to find herself alone in her room. She had fallen asleep against Cell almost immediately, wrapped in his arms as if she were a child. Normally, she would have been disgusted with herself, but for some reason, the thought of him holding her only brought a smile to her face.

She had slept peacefully and had opened her eyes with a renewed sense of hope. Despite their distance, she felt close to 'Geta, and although she couldn't feel his energy directly, a part of her _knew _that he would be okay and that she would see him again.

The sun had barely begun to rise, indicating that it was probably close to eight in the morning. Jumping out of bed, she took a quick shower, changed into loose fitting work out clothes, and headed out towards the empty gravity chamber. Alannah could feel her father's life force in the house, and wondered if he was sleeping. She hoped so. She had heard stories from her mother about how protective he was over his precious training equipment.

The thought of her mother brought a swell of emotions rising to her chest, and Alannah did her best to push them away as she entered the chamber. She needed to focus. Bulma would have never wanted her to be upset over her death. If anything, death was considered a release, an escape from the hellhole that was their life. She was in a better place, and Alannah knew that she should be happy that her mother would never need to go through such horrors again.

Taking a deep breath, Alannah began setting the gravity chamber to two hundred times gravity. A bit of a challenge, but she needed the distraction. When the room began to simulate her requests, she felt her muscles quiver as they strained under the growing pressure.

She spent nearly two hours in the chamber, doing various exercises and practicing certain sparring techniques, when she heard someone banging on the front door. Turning off the simulation, her heart nearly jumped into her throat when she realized who was standing outside.

She opened the door slowly and peeked her head out.

Vegeta stood on the platform in his black spandex shorts, arms folded tightly across his chest and his eyebrows knitted into an angry scowl that Alannah remembered all too well.

"What do you think you're doing, girl?" he growled.

Despite herself, Alannah smiled.

"I'm training."

"Yes, I can see that, but why are you in _my _gravity room?"

"Because there is only one."

Alannah mentally slapped herself when she realized how shy and pathetic she sounded. She was acting like she was four years old again. Granted, she had been that age the last time she had seen her father, but _this _Vegeta didn't know her at all. She wasn't even born yet in this time.

She barely had time to back away from the door before he stormed past her, mumbling something underneath his breath. He stopped at the control panel and fumbled with the simulation for a few moments as Alannah watched from her place by the door.

"Why are you still here?" Vegeta called out, not even bothering to look up.

Alannah felt her face grow hot and she mentally slapped herself again. She was letting her self be intimidated. This wasn't like her at all. She wanted to impress her father, but instead, she stood in the corner staring at him like he was some sideshow at the circus. Whether he was from the past or the future, the man before her was still her father, so why was she so frightened by him?

"I'm here because I want to train," she said defiantly after a moment, making sure her voice sounded confident enough.

Vegeta glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You were training at two hundred times gravity," he replied evenly. "My training level is at three hundred and fifty. I doubt you can handle it. Besides, don't you have another play date with Cell?"

At his words, Alannah felt her fear evaporate, and a small flame of anger slowly began burning its way through her chest.

"One, don't tell me what I can and cannot handle, and two, who I train with on my own time is _my _business. I heard enough crap about that from Trunks. You may be my father, but I'm not afraid of training with you."

Vegeta stared at his future daughter, dumbfounded by her sudden change in demeanor. She went from being a nervous wreck to having the pride of a true Saiyan. Her defiant stance and the angry glint in her eyes reminded him of another woman, and he let a small chuckle escape past his lips.

"What's so funny?" Alannah growled, clenching her fists as Vegeta finished programming the simulation into the control panel.

"You have your mother's impertinent attitude," he replied before letting his smirk slowly fade. He crossed his arms and turned to glare at his daughter. "Are you going to stand there or are you going to close the door so we can start training?"

By the time they were done, Alannah felt as if her limbs were going to fall off from over-exertion. She walked down the platform behind her father, who didn't seem the least bit exhausted. Sweaty, maybe, but not the least bit fazed.

_Three hundred and fifty times Earth's normal gravity? _Alannah thought in dismay as she watched her father make his way towards the kitchen. She was surprised that she wasn't a pancake right now, but she was proud to say that she had actually given it a try without being a complete failure. She even landed a few punches here and there, and although they didn't do much damage, she could tell that her father was impressed by her stamina.

It left her feeling elated and content. Two more days were all she had, and she was going to make it last.

***

With her remaining time, Alannah switched off from training with her father to training with Cell. She needed to put in as much time as she possibly could without completely wearing herself out, but most importantly, she couldn't let herself get distracted by her feelings for Cell. She did her best to distance herself emotionally, focusing mainly on their training, and to her relief, he seemed to be doing the same as well. They sparred ruthlessly, attacking each other until they both seemed unable to catch their breath.

It was as if no attractions existed between them, and it seemed to be an unspoken understanding between the two of them to not discuss the current of emotions that had brought them together. It had worked out fine for the most part, but Alannah had trouble ignoring her feelings once they were bottled up. They seemed to gather in the center of her chest and threaten mutiny — it made her want to tear her own heart out.

Now, standing with him in his arena the night before the tournament, she couldn't help herself.

"Cell?"

The android stared down at her in response to her gentle voice, her eyes gazing up at him with passion and concern.

"Things are going to be different tomorrow, aren't they?" she asked, her voice soft, yet understanding.

Cell nodded, shifting his gaze away from hers. "I will not hold back during the tournament, especially not with you," he responded coolly. "You've had the privilege of seeing how I fight numerous times now, so I expect nothing less than the best from you."

"Don't worry. I won't be holding back."

Cell gave her a suspicious and amused look. "You won't, huh? How can you be so sure of yourself?"

Alannah smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "I learned to control my emotions, remember?"

"You learned from the best," Cell corrected her with an arrogant smirk.

"Yeah, yeah. You're Mr. Perfection. I got it."

Cell snorted irritably at her ridicule and turned his back to her. Smiling, Alannah reached up and touched the back of one of his wings, shivering as a flood of memories from the past ten days came rushing back to her. She slowly made her way to his front and lifted herself up on her tiptoes so that she could wrap her arms around his muscular neck.

"Thank you," she said sincerely before gently placing her lips against his.

As he wrapped his arms around her, Alannah took time to savor the way his body felt against hers and the bittersweet taste of his lips as they kissed one last time. Come tomorrow morning, he would no longer be the same Cell that helped her achieve the impossible. He wouldn't be the same person that she loved.

They would be back at square one, only this time their hate towards one another would be nothing more than a mere mask.

They were lovers, but come tomorrow morning, they would be enemies once again.


	16. Let the Games Begin

This chapter was hard to right. It's a lot of action. Cell Games, woot!

It follows the actual events pretty well. I tried to make it fast-paced, but thorough at the same time.

Let me know what you guys think. :]

***

"You alright, Alannah?"

Trunks put his hand on his sister's shoulder. She stood with a few of the Z fighters at Kami's Lookout as they waited for Goku to arrive, and her face was full of what looked to be nervousness and concern, her eyes downcast. Needless to say, they were all nervous, but none could understand the pain that Alannah was going through. Although she knew where she stood, she couldn't help but feel torn; whatever the outcome of the day, she would lose — and she knew it.

At the sound of Trunks' voice, she looked up.

"I'm fine," she lied with a smile. "I guess I'm just a little tense."

"Can't blame you," replied Krillin. "I feel like a nervous wreck. I can't understand how Goku can act so calm. I mean, really."

"Alannah, you trained with Cell, right?" Gohan asked. When she nodded, he continued. "Is there anything you could tell us? Like how he fights or any tricks he may have?"

"Well," she replied. "He never reached his full power when him and I fought, but I can tell you that he's fast —very fast. The best thing I can say is to watch your back. I can't tell you how many times I got hit simply by letting my guard d—"

Her words were caught off as a rush of air swept by the group and caught their attention. Turning their heads, they were greeted by Goku's friendly smile.

"D-Dad!" Gohan cried in surprise.

"Today's the day," Goku said calmly, smiling at the group of fighters before him. His eyes scanned the faces until he noticed someone missing. "Where's Vegeta?"

"He went on ahead," Piccolo replied.

Goku nodded. There was an awkward silence until Krillin spoke up, explaining to Goku in a worried voice that the Earth's new dragon would be unable to restore life to someone who had already died before. His anxiety was apparent — he obviously believed that a few of them would perish during the Cell Games. Alannah couldn't blame him. Even she didn't know what to expect from Cell.

"Don't worry. Nothings going to happen!" Goku exclaimed. "Cell isn't going to beat us, guys. Now, let's hurry up so that we won't be late."

The group took off into the sky, waving goodbye to Mr. Popo and the small Namekian boy named Dende, and they eventually caught up with Tien and Yamcha. As they flew, Alannah could feel her stomach twisting itself into knots. She had been unable to fall asleep the night before, but it didn't matter because her body was now pumping with adrenaline and anticipation. Part of her wished she would have gone back in time with 'Geta so that she wouldn't have to see the monster that lurked deep inside Cell. However, she had never been the type of girl to run away. She believed in facing fear and trepidation — and today she would come face to face with reality.

Cell's arena soon came into view, but Alannah's eyes were focused on the black limousine that sat near the ring.

"Who in their right mind would actually come to watch the tournament?" she asked aloud to the group.

Krillin laughed. "You obviously haven't been keeping up with the 'World Champ' have you? Unfortunately, Hercule Satan isn't here to watch."

Alannah gave him a confused look before returning her attention back to the approaching arena. Cell stood in the middle, arms crossed, his deadly glare focused on a reporter and a cameraman who seemed to be trying to engage her father in a conversation. Not too far from Cell was another, rather bulky man with wild black hair. He wore white pants, a large brown shirt, and a — white cape?

_That must be this World Champ_, Alannah thought. She took note of his weak power level. He seemed to be stronger than most other humans, but he was nothing compared to Cell or any of the Z fighters. The group landed next to Vegeta, and for the first time, Alannah noticed another man with orange hair standing on the opposite side of the ring. He had no power level, which was rather unnerving.

"Mark, who is that?" she whispered, elbowing her brother in the ribs.

"That's Android 16," Mark replied. He rubbed his side gently. "Mom, Grandpa, and I got him fixed up in time. Notice the Capsule Corp. logo on his left chest plate," he added, smiling proudly.

Alannah nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Cell staring at her. She refused to return his gaze in fear of drowning in his magenta hues, but she had to admit that it was tempting. She didn't like the fact that she could lose control around him and that she would rather be kissing him then fighting him. No, she needed to remain focused. Whatever they had was gone.

"So then how about we get things started?" Goku said, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "If you want, I can be first. What do you say, Vegeta?"

"Hey!" shouted a burly voice from the ring. All eyes focused on Hercule, who stood red-faced in the ring, his fists clenched. "Don't you guys have any idea who I am? I'm the World Champ here!"

The greasy haired reporter cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "So, you and your group are planning on competing in the tournament?" he asked to Goku.

"Of course," Goku replied lightly. "I'll be competing first."

"I don't think so!" Mr. Satan exclaimed, rushing up to the edge of the ring. "I've had enough of you clowns! Clear out of here before you I get angry!"

Alannah had to clamp her hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Obviously, being labeled as "World Champ" had done its damage to the poor man. He was a hopeless case. An arrogant and hopeless wreck. As much as she hated herself for admitting it, watching him try and fight Cell would be rather amusing and oddly satisfying. He was still mouthing off, saying something about them being "ignorant hicks" and she could hear Mark chuckling next to her.

Cell was watching Mr. Satan make an idiot of himself, so Alannah stole a glance at the android. He was tall and proud, with an unmistakable look of irritation on his face. His eyes shifted and his frown turned into a small smirk when he caught Alannah's gaze. She could feel the heat rippling through her body as a result, warming her cheeks in embarrassment. He was so handsome.

She was so caught up in her sudden rush of emotions that she didn't notice Mr. Satan in front of the group, lifting a heavy rock with his bare hands and crushing it over his head.

"Now who rules!" he shouted.

"Champion of Martial Arts!" the reporter cried in response. "Mr. Satan!"

Mark laughed out loud. "Is he a reporter or a cheerleader?" he asked quietly, causing Alannah to giggle.

"I say we let this goof ball go first," Krillin said. Goku looked at him with uncertainty until Cell vocalized his impatience.

"It's time," the android sneered. "Who will be the first to challenge?"

Despite Goku's warning, Mr. Satan stepped up. He untied the string to his white cape and tossed it to the side. The reporter was yammering away into the camera, practically screaming when Mr. Satan held up his champion belt, showing it off as if it were some football trophy. Alannah rolled eyes and began tapping her foot. Even _she _was beginning to grow impatient.

After what seemed like an eternity of unnecessary and cocky remarks, Mr. Satan put himself into a fighting stance. He then charged at Cell with all his might, landing a kick square in the android's face. Of course, there was no damage, but the oblivious "World Champ" continued his onslaught of useless attacks: punches, kicks, karate-chops — he probably thought he was moving too fast for Cell to catch up, but everyone else knew better. In one fast movement, Cell hit Hercule clear over his shoulder and sent him flying into the rocky walls behind him.

"So, let's get the tournament underway," he said, turning his attention to the group. "Who will be first? Will it be Goku to start things off?"

Goku stepped quietly into the ring with his confident expression. Alannah couldn't help but gaze up at him in wonder. She had heard plenty of stories from her mother about the man, about his conviction and selflessness, and how everything seemed to end up okay when he was around. She hoped it were true. She hoped that under his calm demeanor, he actually had a plan.

"As I'm sure you already know, I've been looking forward to this," Cell said quietly. "I'm hoping that fighting you will be well worth the wait."

Both fighters placed themselves into fighting stances, and Alannah listened quietly as they spoke. Apparently, Cell was designed to utilize the Z fighters' different techniques, something she didn't know until now, but it didn't surprise her. It obviously left Cell feeling extremely confident in his abilities. He smirked before giving Goku the signal to begin, and in less than a second, the Saiyan was in the android's face.

Alannah followed their movements closely as they dodged one another's attacks. They were quick, but not too quick. She wasn't sure about Goku, but she knew Cell could be faster. Was he simply toying around? It didn't make sense. Neither seemed to be trying.

"Their strength appears to be equal," Android 16 declared.

_Goku _has _to be stronger than this_, Alannah thought to herself, furrowing her brow. _If he's not, he's absolutely no match for Cell's real power_.

She continued to watch them, and her breath nearly caught in her throat when Goku landed a kick that almost tossed Cell out of the ring. However, the android caught himself. Arms crossed, he brought himself back into the ring and planted his feet on the tiled floor.

"Sorry, but did you really think you had defeated me?" he asked coolly.

Both were holding back, and it was beginning to get on Alannah's nerves. When they began fighting again, however, their movements were much quicker, their attacks more severe. Hercule and the reporter tried desperately to follow along, but couldn't, and the sorry excuse for a "World Champ" was mouthing off about cheap tricks and optical illusions.

_At least there was _some_ sort of entertainment here_. Alannah smirked.

Suddenly, the earth began to rumble. Goku stood in the middle of the arena, his power level increasing significantly. His golden aura flamed around his body and licked at his yellow hair. Plumes of smoke erupted around them, and Alannah had to lift her arms in front of her face in order to protect her eyes. Immediately after Goku, Cell erupted into bright white light and his power rose to a level that Alannah had only become faintly acquainted with in their last few days of training. It was a level she could only dream of. Straining her eyes, she could make out Cell's large figure among the fading smoke and dimming energy.

Both he and Goku were magnificent in their powers as they fought. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that Cell was at his full strength. He was so fast and so agile, more so than when they had trained. He had even separated himself into four identical beings a few moments ago, a technique she had never seen him perform. It made her both fearful and angry.

"There's no way you can beat me with your stolen techniques. Now, give up," Goku said with a scowl. Much to Cell's annoyance, the Saiyan had succeeded in dodging nearly every attack thrown his way.

"No, not yet," Cell declared with a smirk. "It's over when _I _say it's over."

The two brought their fight into the air, the earth sounding as if it would shatter with each attack. Alannah dug her feet firmly into the dirt in order to have more balance. Her eyes followed their every move, and much to her dismay, she could feel her heart tearing in two every time Cell was hit. She hated him, but she loved him at the same time. She wanted him dead one moment, and the next she wanted to be in his arms. It was driving her insane.

"Hey! Get away from the ring now!"

The sound of Goku's voice broke Alannah out of her thoughts. She glared up into the bright sky and felt Mark pulling at her arm.

"He's going to blow the ring," her brother shouted at her as he dragged her behind him. With a loud crash, the arena shattered into thousands of pieces before being disintegrated by Cell's blast. All that was left was a large crater. Alannah stared at it from in wonder from her spot on the rocky ledge; her thoughts were slightly shaken and frazzled.

She could hear Goku and Cell's voices as they descended to the ground, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. They auras soon grew, erupting and enveloping them into bright golden light. Goku's power increased and they were soon equal. They fought for dominance, each trying to get control over the other. Goku was far stronger than she originally thought, and he was extremely impressive, but deep down, she knew it wouldn't be enough. She could feel Cell's energy within her. Without having even seen his true power, she knew what the android was capable of, and it frightened her.

"Look, Goku!" Krillin exclaimed, his eyes glued to the sky. "He's way up there. What's he doing?"

Alannah followed his gaze. Goku hovered in the sky above Cell, his hands positioned behind his back as he prepared for an attack that she had only ever heard of. The Kamehameha Wave, was it? She couldn't remember, but Piccolo seemed extremely distressed.

"Goku's crazy, but he's not that crazy," Krillin said calmly.

Just as Goku was about to release the attack, his figure disappeared from the sky, and Alannah could feel his energy moving quickly. Within a matter of seconds, he reappeared in front of Cell, his body crouched low to the ground, his hands positioned off to the side, and in a flash of blinding blue light, he released his energy.

Alannah covered her face with her arms as the smoke billowed up towards them and into the sky. For a brief moment, she couldn't feel Cell's energy. When the smoke cleared, she looked out over the rocky terrain and felt her heart sink. Cell's lower half lay motionless on the ground, his upper body having been completely obliterated. Despite herself, she took a few desperate steps forward, as if getting closer to him would make her feel more at ease. To everyone, it probably seemed like she was in disbelief, but she could feel Trunks' suspicious gaze burning into her.

She knew it wasn't over. It was far from being over.

Cell's energy was rushing back as his body began to regenerate itself. She could sense Goku's determination to keep going, but once the two started fighting again, it was hard to dismiss the Saiyan's sluggish movements. His breathing was ragged and uneven, and he was losing his energy way too quickly.

Cell had the advantage, and Goku knew it. Everyone did.

As he stood staring up at the android, he let his golden aura diminish.

"It's over Cell," he called out. "You win. There's no point in continuing. I can't beat you."

"Surely you're joking!" Cell snarled. "You can't just walk away!"

"Sure I can. You beat me fair and square."

The android glared at him with disgust. "Fine, you may quit if you wish, but if there is no one left to fight me, I will reduce this planet to nothing more than dust!"

"The tournament isn't over," Goku replied calmly. "There's still one more person left to challenge."

Cell turned his attention towards the group of fighters on the ledge.

"Who? One of them?" he scoffed. "And exactly which one of these weaklings did you have in mind? Piccolo? Trunks? Vegeta? Or maybe _Alannah_? Don't waste my time."

Alannah felt her face grow red with anger. How dare he mock her like that. Of all people, he knew what she was capable of. She wasn't as strong as he, but she'd be one hell of a challenge. He said it to tease her, the stupid bastard. It shouldn't have been much of a surprise, but it was infuriating nonetheless. She now wished he hadn't regenerated because the memory of seeing his lifeless body was suddenly satisfying.

She glanced at the people around her, wondering whom Goku was referring to. She knew it wasn't her — she hadn't been around him long enough for him to know her capabilities. Piccolo, maybe, or even her father. Goku seemed to be in tune with them. Needless to say, when he named the mystery fighter as Gohan, she almost fell over in shock. He was just a _boy_. Strong for his age, but a boy nonetheless. Was he really that strong?

Goku seemed to think so.

"You're going to have to trust me," he said reassuringly to the group. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think Gohan could win."

Alannah stared at him in wonder, but as she listened to him talk, she slowly began to understand his plan. Gohan had been the one to train her and her brothers — she knew what he was capable of. He had told her once about a hidden power and how it seemed to snap in place when he was angry or upset. It was how he had become a Super Saiyan in the future after he witnessed the androids kill his mother.

Now, Goku was relying on that hidden power, on Gohan's emotions.

_Emotions_. Cell would beat it out of him if he knew.

She gazed up towards the android's distant figure and for a brief moment, she knew he was staring back. She wondered desperately what he was thinking, what he was feeling, but she knew she would never know. After today, he would only be a bittersweet memory to her, and she would be nothing to him.

"I think we should trust Goku," she said, despite her own doubts. "We have nothing else to lose. Just because Gohan is a boy doesn't mean he's not capable of defeating Cell."

Gohan nodded, his terrified expression transforming into one of confidence and determination. He descended slowly from the rocky ledge and down to the ground below Cell. In a blast of golden light, his power began to increase rapidly and to everyone's surprise, he soon surpassed his father. It was truly incredible, but to Cell it was probably no more than a pretty light show.

"I have to say, you certainly are brave, and loyal too," Cell said. "Not many sons are willing to die fighting their father's battles."

He gave one last smirk before attacking. Their movements were fast, but Cell was growing frustrated. Quickening his speed, he grabbed Gohan by the hem of the shirt and landed a string of punches into the boy's face before striking him to the rocks below. The battle continued for what seemed like an eternity, and after numerous attempts to gain the upper hand, Gohan seemed to understand exactly why his father had chosen him. He could probably feel his hidden power now, begging to be released in order to put an end to Cell.

But he didn't want to fight.

He told Cell so. He explained to him the hidden power and that if his anger grew and his power was unleashed, it would be over — Cell would be killed.

Of course, Cell was only intrigued. Much like he had been with Alannah, he wanted Gohan to get angry, to be furious. The android wanted to see what he could do, so he beat him. Punch after punch, kick after kick, Cell beat the boy until he was covered in cuts and bruises.

Now, Gohan lay on the ground, breathing heavily.

"Stubborn creature," Cell said quietly. "You refuse to fight back despite the pain. Perhaps you will respond better to the pain of your friends."

The android took flight then, appearing before Krillin on the ledge and swiping the bag of Zensu beans from his hand. If it wasn't for Android 16 grabbing a hold of him, his plan might have gone a little more smoothly. The bulky android had held Cell tightly, and Alannah could sense the fear. He had claimed that he was going to self-destruct and bring Cell with him, but he soon lay in pieces on the floor. With his bomb having been removed, he was no match.

Cell chuckled to himself, turning his attention to his challenger.

"Well Gohan, you're still not _mad_. Let's fix that." He turned to the people standing on the ledge, counting nine. "Shouldn't be too hard."

Cell began to focus his energy, his voice echoing through out the countryside as he did so.

"What in the world is he doing?" Vegeta asked out loud, though no one answered. No one knew until they saw the tiny, blue Cell Juniors spit out from Cell's tail. They gathered around their _father_, their laughing high-pitched and their smiles wide.

"Now, my _dear_ children," Cell said happily. "Those nine up there are your enemies. Give them pain. _Kill _them if it makes you happy."

Alannah and the others planted their feet firmly into the ground as miniature androids flew towards them. They were small, but the power was immense. Bracing herself, Alannah blocked the first punch that her little nuisance threw her way, but soon received a hard kick in the side. She stumbled, but quickly recovered and hit the tiny bastard square in the jaw. He flew back, growling angrily at her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her the others struggling. Mark was being pummeled into the rocks; her father was receiving a kick to the face, Goku a punch to the back.

She could feel her anger surfacing as she fought the android in front of her. Everyone around her was losing poorly, and if she didn't try to help them, someone was going to get killed. Swiping her leg into her Cell Junior's neck, she bought herself some time and tried desperately to center her emotions. Pushing her anger down into her stomach, she held it there and waited for another attack. The android rushed towards her, cackling and ready to fight.

Before he could reach her, Alannah phased out of sight, her emotions quickening her speed and strength. When she reappeared, she was behind him with one of her arms outstretched and her palm pressed lightly against his tiny black wings. He looked back in horror.

She gave him a small smirk and in a flash of bright blue light, he was gone.

Krillin seemed to be the worst off, so Alannah rushed to his aid, slamming a foot down into the android's back and sending him crashing into the rocks.

"Thanks, Alannah," Krillin said shakily. "They're pretty tough."

"I know —"

The Cell Junior landed a punch to the side of her head, cutting her off and leaving her feeling dizzy and confused. Krillin jumped up to help, but was quickly struck down. In a fury of kicks and punches, Alannah was eventually able to send the blue bug crashing into the rocks again, only this time, she sent an energy blast in after him.

"I think you got him!" Krillin exclaimed after a moment. The Cell Junior had not emerged.

Alannah nodded and turned her attention to the other fighters.

_Two down, seven to go._

She lifted herself in the air and was about to help Yamcha when she heard Krillin's desperate voice.

"No! Alannah, look out!"

She spun around quickly, and was greeted by the bruised, yet excited face of the Cell Junior she thought she had destroyed. His puny fist sent her spiraling into the ground, her head scrapping and bouncing against the rocks and leaving a trail of blood. With cloudy eyes, she could see the blurred images of her brothers and her father, of Goku and Piccolo. The pain in her head was excruciating, and her mind was growing increasingly fuzzy. She couldn't feel her body, but she could feel her blood trickling down from her head and pooling slowly in her hair. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of battle, struggling to find any source of energy within her, but there was nothing.

Her friends' cries were growing softer, more distant, as if she were being moved far from the fight.

Then, silence.


	17. Betrayal and Heartache

This is the second to last chapter. Eek! There will be some type of resolution in the last chapter, so don't fret. :]

Hope you all enjoy!

***

She could hear people calling her name.

She could feel the heat of the sun seeping through her combat suit, hands gently slapping her face and trying to coax her mouth open. She could barely move, and lolled her head lazily to the side and pressed her cheek against the warm, blood-soaked dirt. Opening her eyes slowly, she noticed Mark kneeling beside her.

He took her head in his heads and moved it so that her face was pointed towards the sky again.

Alannah groaned in protest.

"You need to open your mouth and chew," he said firmly. "You've lost a lot of blood."

She felt him press a Senzu bean against her lips and she took it gingerly. As she ate, she could feel her senses slowly coming back to her.

Why was it so quiet? Where was everyone else? Where were the Cell Juniors? Most importantly, where was Cell? His energy felt so distant. She slowly sat up and looked around. She hadn't noticed Trunk kneeling on the other side of her. The others were standing nearby, watching quietly. Her eyes caught sight of Gohan, his eyes red and his cheeks streaked with fresh tears. It didn't take long for her notice that Goku was missing among the group.

"What happened?" she asked as she stood up. She ran a hand through her matted and bloodied hair. "Where is Goku and Cell?"

Everyone's eyes fell to the ground with sad expressions. Gohan's eyes began to glisten, and Alannah immediately regretted her question.

"It's my fault," the young Saiyan replied. He explained what had happened while she lay unconscious in the dirt. Cell had succeeded in unleashing Gohan's hidden power, but it had been too much for him to handle. Instead of destroying him quickly, Gohan had let him suffer, pushing the android and forcing him into desperation. The boy had been so strong that one of his punches had actually caused Cell to regress in form and dislodge Android 18 from his body. The blonde woman was now lying unconscious in Krillin's arms with her head hanging limply to the side. Alannah stared at her for a moment in shock. How was this possible?

"Cell became so desperate that he threatened to self-destruct," Gohan explained. "Before he could, my dad stepped in and used his instant transmission technique to transport them both away from the Earth. Now they're _both_ dead."

He choked out his last statement, his grief about his father overriding his strength. Alannah looked down at the ground, her eyes burning with concentration. It was true — Goku was gone. She could no longer feel his life force. But Cell? How could he be dead? She could still feel his energy.

"Krillin!" Vegeta yelled sharply. "What are you doing? Put that android down right now!"

Krillin was still holding Android 18 close to him. "W-what?"

"Destroy it! It's still alive!" Vegeta spat.

"No! She's hurt. She needs help."

"Y-You guys?"

Everyone's eyes focused on Alannah. She stood firmly in place, but her heart was beating wildly in her chest. A sudden wave of fear was crashing through her body, shaking her bones and causing the hair on her arms to stand on end.

Cell's energy was increasing rapidly — he was angry, but more so, he was _excited_. How could no one else be feeling it? It was overwhelming.

Cell was still alive, but before Alannah had time to explain, a large and very strong gust of wind swept by them. Rocks and dirt flew past while plumes of dust rose from the ground, blocking their vision and stinging their eyes.

"What is that?" Piccolo shouted over the roar of the wind.

From the dust came the crackling sound of energy, its lightning-like appearance flickering through the unclean air. Alannah could feel him within the mess, his energy increasing as the wind picked up. From behind her, she could hear the sounds rocks shattering and cliffs collapsing.

"I-Impossible!" Vegeta shouted, his eyes wide and full of disbelief. "He's back!"

Alannah felt her heart sink in her chest. She had never experienced Cell's energy like this. She could actually _feel _his cruelty and malice within her own body, and it sent shivers racing down her back. She didn't want to believe that she could be in love with a person who felt such things and had such disregard for life.

Suddenly, out of the plumes of smoke, a beam of bright golden energy emerged. It raced towards the group, its destination unknown to them. Alannah had only a few seconds to brace herself before it hit, and when it did, she heard the unmistakable sound of armor cracking. She heard Trunks' painful grunt and watched in horror as the attack shot clean through his chest and exited out his back. He flew back a few feet before landing heavily in the dirt, blood seeping out of his wound.

"No!" Alannah screamed.

She rushed towards her brother, her knees scraping against the hard ground as she kneeled beside him. Trunks looked up at her with wide eyes, his body shaking slightly in shock. Her eyes were stinging with tears as she gazed at his wound. He was bleeding profusely, the gaping hole exposing his torn flesh and broken ribs. Mark was soon kneeling on the other side of him, his expression one of despair and anger. He gently grazed his fingers against the wound, causing Trunks' body to jerk in response.

"Krillin!" Alannah cried. "Krillin, we need a Senzu bean now!"

"He can't take one, Alannah," Mark said sadly as he stared down at their brother. He gently moved Trunks' head so that his cheek rested against the ground. Blood drained from his mouth and mixed with his long, lavender hair. Alannah could hear his soft, ragged breathing.

He was dying.

The blast had shot most likely shot through his lung and he was now choking on his own blood. Lowering her head to her brother's face, Alannah kissed his forehead gently.

"Please, no," she whispered, her tears springing from her eyes and cascading down her cheeks. She pulled away and stared down at Trunks, his expression now vacant and lifeless. Mark reached over and gripped her shoulder, but she pulled away aggressively. Standing, she couldn't stop her body from shaking in rage and grief. She glared in Cell's direction. Her emotions were raw, her body numb.

"_I am who I am, Alannah," _Cell's smooth voice echoed into her head. He was a murderer and a fiend. She had trusted him, kissed him, and had even fallen in love with him. The thought made her sick to her stomach with betrayal and disgust. How could he do this? She could have sworn a part of him actually cared for her, but now, that was nothing more than a naïve dream.

"My aim is as good as ever!" Cell laughed. "So good to be back!"

The smoke was clearing and the android's shadowed figure was slowly coming into view. His body glowed beneath his energy, his eyes flickering with excitement and anticipation.

"You thought you'd never see me again," he chuckled evilly. "Well, too bad! I'm alive. Want to know how I survived the blast? It's really quite simple. It's all in here." He tapped his head for emphasis before delving into his story: his cells have a life of its own; death was impossible for him; the core of his being had survived his self-destruction, and so his body was regenerated. Just their luck.

Alannah wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, smearing a mixture of blood, sweat, and tears across her cheek. She didn't want to listen to him gloat. She wanted to make him pay. For everything — her anger, her sadness, her affections, but most of all, she wanted to make him pay for what he did to Trunks.

"So, which one of you cowards is the bravest?" the android asked.

Gohan engulfed himself in golden energy. "You don't scare me, Cell!"

"Still won't give up?"

"Not a chance," Gohan replied with a confident smirk. "I learned from my father to never give up. If you're as powerful as you claim, then let's see it."

Cell scowled. "You still have a lot to learn."

From behind her, Alannah felt Trunks' energy stir, his muffled and gurgled breathing erupting out of his chest. She rushed to his side, along with Mark and Yamcha, hope swelling into her chest. His life force was so small, she could barely feel it, but he was still alive.

"He's still here!" Yamcha shouted. "But he's in really bad shape. I don't think he'll make it!"

Alannah held her brother's face gently in her hands, talking to him softly and telling him it would be all right. She knew that she needed to keep him alert. She couldn't let him close his eyes or give in to whatever weakness he was feeling. He had survived twenty-one years with Androids 17 and 18. He _needed _to survive now.

Her thoughts were suddenly broken by the sound of Vegeta's angry cries. She looked up, the dust and wind sweeping through her dirty hair and drying her wet cheeks. Her eyes widened when she saw her father rushing towards Cell. In a blinding fury, he released dozens, if not hundreds, of energy blasts. They all rained down on the android, who was soon lost amongst the golden lights. The earth erupted in shards of rock and smoke, but Vegeta did not stop until his chest was heaving from the exertion. With his energy almost completely drained, he was now unable to protect himself.

An unscathed Cell soon emerged out of the smoke, appearing before Vegeta and striking him hard across the face. The Saiyan spiraled down towards the earth and hit the ground with a sickening thud. With one finger outstretched, Cell shot an energy blast down towards his crumpled body.

Alannah screamed, and Gohan rushed forward, stepping in front of Vegeta before the blast could hit. When the smoke cleared, Vegeta lay motionless on the ground. Gohan stirred and picked himself up carefully, his left arm badly injured and horribly bloody. Alannah couldn't help but stare at him awe, unable to grasp where he hid such strength and stamina. She still held Trunks in her arms. His eyes were closed and she could no longer feel him struggling for breath. Holding his dead body close to her, she struggled not to cry and give up hope.

Cell and Gohan stood face to face now. The android brought his hands together and pulled them behind him in preparation while his fingers crackled with blue energy.

"Gohan!" he exclaimed excitedly. "This is it! It ends here!"

His power was increasing, his strength renewed by his confidence and pride. Alannah closed her eyes tightly. With one blast, he would end the world, and with many more, he would destroy the universe. As much as she wanted to, she knew she could not stop him now.

She had almost given up hope when she felt Gohan's power surged. Opening her eyes, she saw the young boy gathering strength with his one good arm, preparing for a Kamehameha Wave. The ground was beginning to shake violently, and within a matter of seconds, both fighters released their attacks. The two steams of blue light shot forward towards one another, their threatening size towering over the other fighters.

"That's way too big!" Krillin shouted over the wind. "Let's go!"

He lifted up into the sky with Android 18. Mark and Alannah carefully lifted Trunks and followed, along with the others. They hovered in the air, watching the Gohan and Cell struggling for dominance and victory, fighting for the advantage that would win the game. Their blasts had collided with a bang and were now ballooning, creating a massive ball of blue energy that reached up high into the sky. Mark and Alannah gently descended down to a nearby cliff and gently placed Trunks' body down.

"Do you think Gohan can win?" she asked, her voice drowning in the surrounding noise.

Mark pursed his lips. "I honestly don't know," he replied. "Cell seems to have the upper hand, but Gohan is strong. He might just do it."

Out of the corner of her eye, Alannah noticed Piccolo flying towards the battle, followed by Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin. Together, all four of them attacked Cell from behind, putting all of their strength into the energy they blasted into his back, but the android angrily swatted them away with his own immense power.

"They're trying distract him," Mark said, his own aura flaring up around him. Before she could say anything, he rushed forward and flew head on into the fray, leaving her alone.

She stood motionless, her mind racing through the past week and through her array of current feelings. As much as she despised herself for it, she still cared about the infernal android. Deep down, he had a gentler side. Whether it had been on purpose or on accident, he had shown it to her and she couldn't force herself to forget something like that. But then, there was Trunks. She stared down at her brother's body, his face covered by his lavender hair and his gaping wound crusted with dried blood. He had sacrificed _everything_.

***

"_During the tournament, if it comes down to us or Cell, who do you think she'll choose, 'Geta?"_

"_I understand that you can take care of yourself."_

_"I trust you."_

"_I am who I am, Alannah."_

_***_

Crying out in frustration, Alannah let her energy explode around her, consuming her with a golden, Super Saiyan haze. She flew hastily towards the group and planted herself on Cell's right side. She was yards away from the battle, staring at his handsome profile intently. Mark and the others had just been knocked down, their bodies stirring as they began to peel themselves off of the ground. Gohan and Cell's energy was roaring in her ears. She knew what she had to do. Slowly, she began to gather her energy.

Her body was so numb that she couldn't even feel the tears rolling down her cheeks.

She was crying for _him_, and for a short moment, he captured her distressed gazed with his soft magenta eyes.

"_Promise me you won't be angry with me if I try to stop you."_

Her own words echoed in her head, but whether or not Cell hated her after this was something she would have to deal with later. She couldn't hurt her family like he had hurt her. She refused to let Trunks die in vain.

Her emotions sat ready in the pit of her stomach.

Taking her hands together, she pushed her pent up energy through her chest and down her arms. Cell's eyes widened with a look of horror as her blast sped towards him. It struck him on his right side, shattering his wing and causing his knees to buckle in pain. Alannah held her position firmly, digging her feet into the ground as the earth shook beneath her. She struggled to keep the energy flowing through her hands.

"_Alannah!_" Cell cried out angrily, causing her to wince. His face was a mixture of hatred and pain.

When she couldn't continue with her attack, Alannah slumped to her knees and waited for him to knock her down like he had to the others. However, he never did. Instead, he glared at her in contempt and struggled to keep his advantage over Gohan, but by then, he had become too distracted. When Vegeta's blast hit him from above, the android's knees buckled again, and Gohan wasted no time.

With one final surge of energy, the young Saiyan released nearly all of his power. Alannah shielded her face from the smoke. She could feel Cell's life force quickly disintegrating and she squinted her eyes against the light, straining her vision as she tried desperately to see him. She caught a short glimpse of his figure before he disappeared completely in a tunnel of white and blue energy.

Within mere seconds, he was gone.

***

She hadn't even realized that she wasn't breathing until she could no longer feel his life force. Exhaling sharply, she forced herself to feel the sudden emptiness in her heart and did her best to replace it with pride. Closing her eyes, all she could see was his face, angry and scowling after her attack, full of hatred and pain. It broke her heart, but she had had no choice.

Resting herself on her knees, she wiped away her tears while the others gathered around a collapsed and exhausted Gohan. Soon, they all began to gather themselves for departure, but she didn't move. She was afraid to — afraid that she would break a little more if she did.

Staring at the ground, Piccolo's feet soon came into her view and she gazed up at him. His green skin was covered in dust and purple blood, and for the first time since she had met him, his eyes were warm and understanding.

"I know you cared about him," he said quietly, "and that fact that you were willing and able to put that aside for your family is truly noble. You should be proud of yourself."

Alannah shifted her eyes back towards the ground. Sighing, she took Piccolo's outstretched hand and pulled herself up. As she followed the group to Kami's Lookout, she stole one last glance at the place were Cell's arena once sat, and her eyes immediately filled with tears — tears she refused to shed.

She had expected pain.

She had expected suffering.

But she hadn't expected it to hurt _this _badly.

Her heart was broken, but she knew she only had herself to blame.


	18. Cell's Farewell

Last chapter. Thanks to all of you who followed this story and reviewed it. Your feedback was and is greatly appreciated. Now, I'm thinking of a sequel and was wondering what you guys would think about that. Would you guys like to see one? Let me know what you think!

Enjoy the chapter! :]

***

The black sky was littered with glistening stars, and the silver moonlight glinted magnificently off of the nearby buildings surrounding Capsule Corporation. Alannah sat quietly on a balcony that overlooked the city, listening to the sounds of laughter and joy that reached her ears from the streets below. The once abandoned and desolate city was now booming with life. The streetlights were shining brightly, casting a yellowish glow on the celebrations that were going on for miles down the road. People, both drunk and sober, were dancing on the sidewalks, singing songs, and praising the all-mighty Hercule Satan, who had apparently defeated Cell single-handedly earlier that day.

What a crock.

Alannah felt her stomach twisting in anger. It was such a disgraceful thing to do, taking the credit for something like that. Hercule Satan could have been killed — _should _have been killed, but Cell had labeled the World Champ a waste of time the moment he laid his eyes on the guy.

She should be happy, really — ecstatic, even.

Whether it be Gohan or Hercule who took the credit, the Earth was safe. Trunks was revived, and although she couldn't feel him, Alannah knew that 'Geta was alive and well. However, despite the reasons to celebrate, her heart refused the opportunity and for reasons she couldn't understand, she felt her eyes beginning to water slightly. She wiped at them furiously with the back of her hand. She was beginning to feel pathetic and weak, two things that she definitely was _not_.

Why was she crying for him? He had killed Trunks, her _brother_ for Kami's sake, and had done so without the slightest bit of remorse. If he truly cared, why would he do that? Surely, he would have realized that it would hurt her. Maybe he thought she could handle the pain. He had taught her how to control her emotions, to utilize them in ways that she never thought possible. He had helped her to become faster, stronger, and for what? So she could deal with the death of her family? Or maybe so she could sit here and try to hold back the tears she was shedding for _him_? What kind of twisted, messed up logic was that?

She shouldn't have been feeling anything but happiness at that moment, but instead, she found herself wanting only to feel him next to her.

Sighing, Alannah tilted her head back and looked up at the night sky. Had he cared about her? Sometimes, it seemed like he did, but then other times, it seemed impossible for him to feel anything for anyone other than himself. Her heart swelled at the memory of their first kiss: Cell's tortured, yet cute, expression, and the way his warm lips felt against hers. It had been enough to send her over the edge, but did it mean anything to him in the end? During the tournament, had he ever thought about her like she did him? Was he sitting in Hell wondering where he went wrong and missing her like she was missing him?

Somehow, she didn't think so.

Alannah let out an exasperated breath before standing up out of her seat. Her anger towards Cell was still painfully fresh. If she ever saw him again, which she knew she wouldn't, she would send him straight back to Hell with a ki blast through his chest. Maybe it would hit his tiny android heart. He deserved as much. She walked quietly towards her bedroom, bypassing the living room where everyone seemed to be talking and having fun, something she wasn't in the mood for.

As she settled herself underneath her flannel sheets, Alannah closed her eyes and pushed any affection she felt for Cell into the pit of her stomach. She wasn't about to let her memories of him get in the way of her life. He was gone, probably in Hell by now. She would never see him again, and it was probably for the best.

Swearing to herself that it would be the last time she ever used what he had taught her, Alannah extinguished the leftover feelings of love that had invaded her heart only moments ago. It wouldn't last forever, but it was a good start. She wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and turned over onto her side.

Within minutes, she was asleep.

***

"Welcome to the Heavenly Check-In Station," a red ogre in a white button up shirt hollered through a blow horn. "Please, single file. If you are caught cutting in line, you will be sent straight to Hell."

Cell had been in line for hours, standing on the tiny green bridge and shuffling forward with the line of souls in front of him. Tiny, white puffs of smoke bounced and hopped gleefully around, chattering incessantly, and their high-pitched voices made him want to tear his yellow ear boxes off the side of his head. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn that he was already in Hell.

He was thankful that he was able to keep his body, though. The last thing he wanted was to have his dignity destroyed by becoming one of the little annoyances at his feet. He may be dead, but he still had his pride. He also had a strong desire to kick one of them, just to see how far they would fly, but he was powerless. His feet were shackled, as were his wrists. The minute he had arrived in the other world, he had been bombarded by blue and red ogres, all of them jumping on top of him and snapping the ki-inhibiting chains around his limbs.

Glaring down at his wrists, Cell tugged at the restraints sharply. They clinked together, but showed no signs of breaking. He stood motionless, tugging on the chains in attempt to break free and trying to ignore the high-pitched voices behind him.

_First Gohan, now these infernal chains, _Cell thought irritably.

"You're holding up the line, Mr. Cell," a chubby blue ogre said with a smile. The android glared down at him, his magenta eyes flashing dangerously. The ogre laughed nervously and pointed at the stretch of empty green bridge in front of them. Growling angrily, Cell shuffled forward and soon found himself standing outside the Check-In Station doors. Four souls were in front of him and he watched intently as each one made their way inside.

The room was large with white walls and a yellow ceiling. In the middle of the room sat a large desk, and behind the desk was an even larger creature. An ogre, from what Cell could see, with pink skin and long black hair. His fluffy black beard poured over the table as he shuffled through his paper-filled desk to find the information he needed.

Much to Cell's amusement, two of the spirits in front him had been sent to Hell. They stepped in front of the desk and the red carpet beneath them opened up, revealing a hole of cold blackness that swept them away — a fate that Cell would know soon enough, but he didn't mind. He was already planning his escape from Hell.

The next spirit was giggling as it hurried forward to the desk. King Yemma looked through his papers, scanning a few bits of information before smiling down at the tiny puff of white smoke. It bouncing happily before him and squealing in delight.

"Well, what a magnificent life you lived," he boomed happily. "One request, as I'm sure you know by now. What is it?"

The spirit squeaked something out, though it was impossible to make out what was said, and it was soon escorted out a side door by two blue ogres. Cell stared after them, perplexed. A request? Could that over-sized buffoon really grant requests?

For the first time since he died, Cell felt excited.

He looked over to his left, where a red ogre with horn-rimmed glasses stood with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. He caught Cell's gaze and his face paled slightly.

"You. Tell me. What does one need to do to be able to have a request granted?" the android asked, his voice low and demanding.

The ogre snorted and turned away from him, his chin lifting into the air. "You have no reason to wonder such a thing," he replied. He looked down briefly at his clipboard and then glared up at Cell. "With the life you lived, you'll be lucky if you get two words in before you get dropped down into Hell. Only the purest souls are allowed to make a request."

Cell scowled and turned his gaze over to the middle of the room. The spirit who had been in front of him was already being escorted out the side door, which meant it was his turn. He shuffled forward, his restraints clinking together with each move he made. King Yemma stared down at him and his eyes flashed with recognition before they narrowed into angry little slits.

"I'm glad to see that you were finally put in your place," he said in his booming and rather obnoxious voice.

Cell could feel the carpet beneath him shifting. He had to act fast.

"Before you send me to Hell," he said quickly, "I would like to make a request."

King Yemma laughed deeply, the force making the entire room shake.

"YOU?" he bellowed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "_YOU _want to make a _request_? What makes you think I would allow you to do such a thing?"

Cell eyes narrowed. "I have unfinished business on Earth."

"Oh, I know all about your unfinished _business_, Cell and about your purpose —"

"I don't mean _that_," Cell snarled. "There is something else that I would like to take care, someone who I would like to talk to."

Yemma raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair. Cell had gotten a hold of his curiosity. "And who might this someone be?"

"Alannah Briefs."

The large ogre sat up straight and began looking through a neat stack of papers on his desk, his eyes trailing over the names of those still living.

"Her name isn't in this list."

"She's not from this timeline. She is from the future."

King Yemma cocked an eyebrow and stared down at him suspiciously. "Well, even if what you say is true, I cannot and will not risk the well being of those still living on Earth. You were a threat while you were alive, and if I let you go, you will be a threat while dead. Sorry, Cell, but down you —"

Before he could finish, something in the corner of the room caught his eye. Cell followed his gaze and turned his head to look behind him. In front of the side door entrance was an old woman, sitting comfortably on a crystal ball with her shoulder length pink hair hidden underneath a pointy black hat. She bypassed Cell's gaze and floated up to King Yemma. She dwarfed in comparison to him, much like everyone did, but she was exceptionally tiny. She was whispering something into the ogre's ear, and much to Cell's annoyance, he couldn't hear what she was saying.

Yemma's eyes widened and he looked at the old woman in confusion before simply nodding and turning his attention back on Cell.

"Looks like those in charge above me believe your motives are not ill-natured," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You may go down to Earth, but your restraints stay on. Any funny business, Cell, and you'll be sent straight to Hell, got it?"

Cell smirked and nodded.

"All right then. Baba here will escort you down to Earth."

"What? _Me?_ No way!" Baba shrieked, waving her hands in front of her and shaking her head frantically. "You're crazy, Yemma. I'm not going with _him_!"

"Baba, he can't hurt you with the restraints on. Now, go!"

The old woman grumbled under her breath and crossed her arms. She floated down next to Cell, but kept her distance and told him to place one hand on her shoulder. When he did, he felt her cringe away and his smirk grew. He loved the idea of people still being afraid of him.

It somehow made him feel _alive _again.

***

He wasn't expecting it to be night. The darkness was blinding, but his eyes soon adjusted. He was standing outside the front entrance of Capsule Corporation with Baba at his side. He listened for a moment, and his keen ears picked up on distant laughter from deep inside the building. He knew that with the ki-inhibiting chains, no one could feel his energy, but they could certainly hear him. Slowly and as quietly as he could, he backed away, his shackles clinking together and his feet scraping against the cemented pathway.

"Don't tell me you changed your mind," Baba whispered harshly.

Cell glared at her. "There are people inside," he replied. "You need to transport me to her balcony."

"Where might that be?"

"Other side of the building, overlooking the gardens."

Baba nodded and motioned for him to put his hand on her shoulder. As soon as he did, he found himself standing in front of Alannah's balcony doors. The windows were partially hidden by the creamy curtains, but he could see her small figure snuggled deeply beneath the sheets of her bed.

"You have five minutes," Baba said. "Make the most of it."

Without a word, Cell turned the handle and opened the door slowly. He closed it quietly behind him and stared at the lump on the bed, watching as the blankets rose and fell with Alannah's soft breathing. He shuffled over to her carefully, feeling somewhat idiotic. He probably looked like a fool shambling around in the dark the way he was, and he was suddenly happy that she was asleep and unaware of his presence. He would say what he needed to say whether she could hear him or not. This was his only chance.

However, he was rendered speechless by memory of her expression before he died: her face streaked with dirt and tears, her mouth twisted in pain and sadness. She had fought hard to distract him, and he couldn't help but feel proud — infuriated, but proud nonetheless. He knew she was angry the moment his energy blasted through Trunks' flesh. He could _feel _her fury, and though it now left him somewhat ashamed, at the time, it was exhilarating.

Frowning, he reached down with one chained hand and stroked her face gently.

"You have a right to be angry with me," he admitted softly. "But you shouldn't be surprised by my actions at the tournament. I have said this before and I will say it again: you knew who I was. I told you I would not change, Alannah."

He paused and stared down at her shadowed features. She lay on her side; her cheek pressed softly against the pillow with her lips slightly parted and her ebony hair was fanned out underneath her. She looked beautiful, and as he admired her in silence, his body was suddenly flooded with an unfamiliar feeling of insecurity and guilt. He could feel his heart beating nervously within his chest and he was beginning to grow angry. What did he have to be guilty about? What did he care what she thought of him? He was created for destruction and she _knew _that.

"I do not understand what you did to me, but I have just as much right to be angry with you," he said defensively. "I made you a promise, but damn it, Alannah, everything was going smoothly until you decided to come to my arena that day. _I _was my only concern until I met you, but somehow, you succeeded in ensnaring me. I became weak with petty emotions because of _you_. Do you realize how frustrating that is? I'm supposed to be _perfect_!" he whispered harshly, more so to himself. "I'm not meant to have _flaws_!" He turned his attention back to the sleeping form in front of him and inhaled deeply. "You infuriate me and you annoy me, as I'm sure you already know, but for some reason I still lo—"

Cell stopped abruptly, his pride catching his words before they left his mouth, and he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He needed to say it. He needed to get it out in the open so she wouldn't torment him anymore. Whether she could hear him or not, it didn't matter. He wanted to be free.

She shifted under the blankets and buried her head deeper into the pillow. He wondered if she could hear him. He could see her eyes moving beneath her lids and her mouth twitched downward slightly, giving the appearance of a frown. He watched her for a moment, and when she didn't move, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I loved you."

The words were soft and barely audible, but he had heard them. His own were caught in his throat, and he stared down at Alannah in surprise. He thought she may have been awake then, but her breathing was still shallow and her eyes were still fluttering beneath their thin lids. She was dreaming about him.

"I loved you," she whispered again, only this time her words were accompanied by tears that gathered in the corner of her eyes and dripped slowly down her nose. Cell frowned at the pang that struck deep within his chest.

_She _loved _me_, he thought slowly. Why did that hurt?

Somehow, he knew the past tense wasn't because he was dead.

"I know you did," he sighed. There was a soft tapping at the balcony door, signaling to him that his time was up. "I have to go, Alannah. Take me being here tonight as my apology to you for any pain that I caused."

He paused, his pride burning in protest at the words that were forming in his throat.

"I loved you as well."

She smiled then. It was small and barely recognizable, but he knew her well enough to know what a genuine smile looked like on her features.

He smirked and chuckled under his breath when he realized that he felt more alive at that moment than he ever did when he actually _was _alive.

Walking towards the balcony, he gave Alannah one last look before exiting and closing the door behind him.

Whether he was ready to spend an eternity in Hell wasn't the question.

The real question was whether or not Hell was ready for him.


	19. Author's Note and Fanart

So I've been brainstorming ideas for a sequel to this story. I'll probably start writing it soon. :D

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and read An Unlikely Love — you guys are amazing!

I drew and colored this today:

http: // no-more-doubt . deviantart . com /art/ An-Unlikely-Love - 125600791

It isn't the best, but I thought that maybe some of you would like it. Obviously, there aren't supposed to be spaces in the link. Haha.

Enjoy!


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